christmas mircle
by julia bebop
Summary: this is gundam wing story. it's a little sappy, but it was my first shot in doing a gundam wing story.


A Christmas miracle

By Julia MacGregor

(This my first Gundam fic. I normally would do Sailor Moon or Ah! My Goddess. . .but I had a weird dream about the Gundams. It was involved about the unexpected miracles that normally would come. It's also a test of one faith in other people. I hope you will like it)

It seems like something happens to change a person's feelings. It happened one eve that the Gundam pilots will never forget.

The heat of battle was a little too thick. Duo, Heero, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei were using everything that they got to use in the battle. Duo was using Deathscythe as a decoy. Trowa and Wufei were the back up team with the Gundams, Heavyarms and Shenlong. Heero was using Wing Gundam in front movements that kept Zeck busy. Quatre was making sure that the Colonists was safe with his Gundam, Sandrock.

They fought hard. Then, a ploy was used to make the Gundams move towards Earth.

Trowa was pulled away from combat. Six Mobile Dolls were now lined in front of Heavyarms as they began to push him away from the line of fire. The Mobile Dolls used their laser cannons as Trowa left the pack.

Duo noticed Heavyarms was flying in the direction of the Earth. Duo switched his comlink on. He asked,"Trowa. . .What are you doing?"

Trowa heard his name being called. He couldn't get to his comlink. He had to move as at light speed to out run the six Mobile Dolls who were shooting at him.

"Trowa. . ."

Dead silence.

"I can't get through!" Duo commented in anger.

"Quatre?" Heero asked. "See what's wrong with Trowa and Heavyarms!"

"I'm on it!" Quatre said as Sandrock floated away the shuttle fleet. Then, Sandrock's booster kicked on.

Then, a Mobile Doll slammed against Shenlong. The unexcepted jolt rocked Wufei hard. He let out a loud moan. The Mobile Doll pulled back for an other assault.

Duo whipped around with his laser glave on full power. He was careful not to take out Wufei as the Mobile Doll was sliced in half. It exploded into a fire dust. Duo asked,"Are you O.K.

Wufei?"

"Yea. . .uh. I think Shenlong's power has been blown. Generators one and three are off line," Wufei said. A hint of panic was in his voice. His left hand was at the switch panel, desperately trying to toggle the switches for the generators. Nothing.

"Blasted," Wufei snapped as his hand slammed against the panel.

Quatre shot down a couple of the Mobile Dolls from the pack that surrounded Trowa. There was a just enough space for Trowa to move away from the line of fire.

The Gundams were pulling themselves into a tight formation. Wing shot a direct hit to Zeck's Gundam, the Tallgeese. Zeck screamed at Heero,"You little punk!"

All but one genitor of the Tallgeese weren't running.

Trowa and Quatre shielded Wufei and Shenlong with their Gundams. The two Gundams fired warning shots at the Mobile Dolls to make them leave Wufei alone. He needed to make a quick assessment of the damages.

Duo was not only fighting the Mobile Dolls. He was contacting the colony. He wanted to make sure that the shuttles were safe. "Listen. . .are you safe, Star-dust?" he asked.

"Roger," replied the pilot.

"Then, Noin can take it from here!"

"Yes, Duo," said, Lt Noin voice spoke through the comlink.

"I've got some cleaning up to do. . .See you later," Duo said as Deathscythe swung into a couple of Mobile Dolls' path.

Then, a stray Mobile Doll pilot saw a chance! There was a blind spot between Sandrock, Heavyarms and Shenlong. With full laser fire. . .the pilot blew a straight line of battle at Wufei.

Heavyarms and Sandrock were completely thrown off to the sides like paper dolls in a wind storm.

Heero watched in horror as Shenlong was engulfed in laser lighting. He screamed,"WUFEI!"

"What?" Duo asked as he turned to see the aftermath. He gasped at the sight,"Oh, God. . .no!"

Trowa used his reverse thrusters to right himself. He tried to blank out the pain he was experiencing. He and Quatre were badly shaken up as well. Quatre winced a little as Sandrock's boosters were starting to kick on. Trowa noticed that Quatre was closer to the Mobile Dolls then he was. He said to Quatre,"Open fire those MD."

"You got it," Quatre uttered in his gentle demeanor. Sandrock was a blaze of lasers. The Remaining Mobile Dolls became floating dust in a blink of an eye.

Heavyarms went after Shenlong before it was hauled into earth's gravitational pull.

Quatre noticed Trowa helping Wufei. He screamed,"TROWA!"

"Don't worry! I'm going to use reverse thrusters and pull Wufei out of the lineament of the earth," Trowa uttered softly. "You and others keep the wolves at bay!"

Duo and Heero were also watching. They wanted to assist Trowa and Wufei. Duo asked Trowa,"Ya need any help?"

Heero commanded as Wing flew to get a closer look,"Stay and help!"

"Why?" Quatre questioned the pilot of Wing.

"Wing can withstand reenter better any of your Mobile Suits. Heavyarms can be used as counter-weight in the light of Shenlong's power and is maybe down about sixty or seventy percent!"

"It sounds like a good idea. . .I hope it works!" Duo said as his hands gripped the joysticks to Deathscythe's control panel.

Wing zoomed in the blackness of space to Shenlong. Heavyarms moved in a weightless effort to position itself behind Shenlong. Heero instructed Trowa to use his thrusters and boosters to push Wufei while the Wing's thrusters and boosters were in reverse to pull Shenlong. He hoped to get Wufei out of the line of the earth.

Out of nowhere as Wing was in front of Shenlong, a blast of laser fire smashed into Wing. It was from the Tallgeese. Wing, Shenlong and Heavyarms were on a collusion course with the earth. All three Gundams were engulfed in the damaging effects of laser lighting. Their Gundams were now paralyzed. They were now pushed into the gravity line of the Earth.

Quatre and Duo were going to save their friends. Quatre was trying to give a Mobile Suit pilot instructions to protect the colony. Duo was trying to contact Trowa. The laser lighting was draining Wing, Heavyarms and Shenlong. then, the three felt the earth's pull on them.

Quatre and Duo put their thrusters on max. They tried to hurry as Heavyarms were being crushed by the other Gundams. They were hoping to use grappling cables to pull Wing and Shenlong from Heavyarms. It was too late. The earth was now like a huge magnet in it's drawing force.

"What's happening?" Heero screamed. His hands moved instantly over the control panel. Everything on Wing's navi-computer was off line.

Trowa became a little frighten as the read outs on Heavyarms were flashing red. It meant that Heavyarms was shutting down. He didn't want to let either Wufei or Heero down. How many minutes did he have of air breath. Then, how many minutes before impact. These were the questions making Trowa's head ache.

Wufei prayed a small mantra as Shenlong was on half compassity. He knew genitors one and three were down. Four was starting to have readings of a melt down. Wufei couldn't have predicted this ending. He remained calm in his demeanor. He said,"Is this way to leave this world?"

"Wufei," a voice crackled through Shenlong's comlink. It was Duo.

"Heero?" Quatre asked as he tried use his comlink to contact Wing.

"The only way. . .use grappler cables and reverse thrusters to slow those guys down," Duo said.

"How?" Quatre asked.

"Use Sandrock on the right position and I'll use Deathscythe on the left," Duo said as his Gundam flew under Wing, Shenlong and Heavyarms.

"Right!" Quatre said as he punched the left keyboard to position the grappler cables on Sandrock's computer. Duo told him to use them on Heavyarms and Shenlong. Duo followed suit as he positioned Deathscythe's grappler cables towards Shenlong and Wing.

A voice came through Duo's comlink. It was Sally Po's voice,"Duo. . .what are doing?"

Duo shouted at his comlink,"ME AND QUATRE ARE GOING TO USE OUR GUNDAMS AS COUNTER WEIGHTS TO SLOW DOWN TROWA, HEERO AND WUFEI WITH THE AID OF GRAPPLER CABLES!"

"What?" a ring of terrified shock came through Sally Po's voice. "Is it safe?"

"I'm not sure," Duo's voice was cooled down a few notches. "But. . .I'm not going to let my buddies go down in flames. Have nine of the Mobile Suits on stand by to help us pull in Shenlong, Wing and Heavyarms! Duo out!"

Duo's voice was sharp before switching the channel that Sally Po was on. He leaned forward in his chair a little. "Please. . .if anyone is listening. . .let this work!" Duo whispered a nervous as his left hand hovered over the control panel. He punched the buttons for the grappler cables. They left the shoot like fireworks.

It was the sudden weight chance from the three disabled Gundams made Duo a little nervous. Duo told Quatre to start his boosters going where he going to the same.

Then, the gravity became too strong. Heavyarms began to descend towards earth. Followed by Shenlong. Heero felt his Gundam being dragged in the line as well. Duo and Quatre were using all the booster power from their Gundams to keep everything in balance. The strain was to the extreme. Their Gundams were now being pulled in.

All five Gundams were now a large cluster of robots. Quatre and Duo were using their boosters to no prevail. The exertion of this doomed rescue was starting to effect Quatre. He begin to breath a little funny. A light headed feeling surrounded him. He was panicking. This was the first and last time that he felt like this. His heart started pound against his chest. Then, he blacked out. Duo heard Quatre gasping on the only opened comlink between Deathscythe and Sandrock. Then, dead still silence. Duo was screaming at Quatre not to black out. The gentle Gundam pilot did black out.

Then, by a twist of fate the grappler cables to Sandrock broke in two. The heat from the earth's impact caused the melt down on the cables.

Duo tired to contact Heero. Dead silence. Then, if by chance Wufei's voice cracked through Duo's comlink,"If anyone is listening. . .it's been a sad life. I didn't need to be a burden to anyone."

"Wufei. . ."Duo murmured in a shocked relief. Then, he asked,"Wufei. . .is your radio still working?"

Static.

"Trowa?" Duo was gasping at straws.

Dead silence.

Duo poured everything he had into this reentry. He couldn't use his grappler cables to get a hold of Quatre. . .and he knew it too.

All five Gundams were excepting free fall as they broke through the atmosphere. Heavyarms and Shenlong couldn't separate. Wing was losing them. Sandrock feel in it's own. Deathscythe's cables snapped on impact. It fell on it's own accord.

Lt. Noin tired to contact Duo. The only sound there was . . .dead calm silence.

There was a cluster of heated stars which headed to the soft, sweet virgin snow. A deafening roar of atomic heavens, ripping apart. The lives of five angels flashed at light speed in front of their eyes. One by one darkness blinded them. Then, an ear splitting sound rocked the ground. Finally all was still.

Years turned into months. Months turned into days. Days turned into hours. Hours turned into minutes. Minutes turned into seconds. Then, all time had stopped they only sign of life was a single rhythm, A heart was beating in the quiet after effects of the atomic storm.

A pair of eyes were slowly opening. The owner of the eyes was waking up. Rasing his head, the owner groaned loudly. He told himself to stay there until the rest of his body was willing to get up.

"DUO!" A voice screamed.

Duo was the owner of the body who wasn't ready to get up yet. He murmured,"He's not getting up!"

"Duo!" the voice repeated.

"He must be here! The seal to Deathscythe's hull isn't broken!" an other voice spoke.

Duo could hear soft metical thumping noises above his head. It meant that Deathscythe was on it's back. It must of landed on the ground during the reentry.

"Let me open it," said a third voice.

A few second later, Duo heard a noise of a lap-top computer. The key board was tapped in a fervor pitch. The owner of the computer was trying to crack the code to Deathscythe's hull hatch way. Duo blinked as the hatch slowly opened. Three blurry figures stood above him. One of the figures said,"Let me check to see if he's O.K."

Somewhere in Duo's shaken mind, he remembered the name of who was taking to him. He whispered horsy,"Trowa?"

Trowa asked,"Are you O.K.?"

"A little banged up. . ."

"Can you move you toes and fingers?" Trowa questioned Duo. He was concerned for Duo's health. He hoped that Duo didn't suffer any spinal cord injuries during the crash.

Duo waggled his fingers for a minute. Then, his toes. Nothing was broken. It was a God send. Trowa asked if Deathscythe suffered any sort of damage in the reentry or in the crash. Duo tried to start up his computer. There was no read outs. The power to the hatch way was the last bit of computer function. He had another hitch. The auto pilot ejection function to the pilot's chair was stuck. No computer to work for the ejection, Duo was in a corner. Trowa asked,"Do you need any help?"

"Yea. . .the auto eject is stuck. I need a knife to cut the strap to my chair," Duo sighed.

"I have one," said another voice.

"It's that you, Heero?" Duo asked. His eyes were becoming focused.

"Yea, here?" Heero said. Heero fished out his Swiss Army knife from his coat pocket. He had some thin wire that was also in coat. He wrapped the knife with the wire. He lowered it to Duo. Duo saw the knife and grabbed it as it came to his hand. He unwrapped the wire from the knife. He slowly sawed the straps from the chair. Duo wanted to know if Quatre made it through the reentry. He was worried especially for the gentle Gundam pilot. He didn't want to find out that Quatre had died on the way to earth. Quatre said,"Yep. . .by the skin of my teeth. In free fall we became separated. Trowa grabbed me. Somehow there was still power left in Heavyarms!"

Heero had a rope with him. He always carried a rope with him at all times in Wing. "Here. . .tie this end of this rope around yourself and we'll pull you out," he said. He lowered the rope end at Duo.

"O.K." Duo said as reached up for the rope end. He carefully wrapped the rope around his middle. He was asked by Trowa if the rope was secured. Duo tugged on the rope to check if it was tight. He told them it was. He gripped the rope as his body was hauled out of Deathscythe's belly. Duo wasn't ready for the shock of the bitter cold temperatures which slapped him in the face. He saw Heero and Trowa were in heavy down jackets and Quatre was in a long cloak.

"Here. . ." Quatre said as he handed Duo a jacket. "It's too big for me! I keep in Sandrock just in case a person needs it!"

Duo unfolded the jacket. He carefully slipped it on. His body ached extremely bad. His eyes stared at the snow covered landscape. He asked,"Where are we?"

"We are not sure!" Trowa said. He and Heero helped Duo with getting a firm footing on Deathscythe's hull.

"The computer is down. So, we're out of luck," Quatre sighed. He recalled trying to start up Sandrock after the crash.

"Can we go find a town?" Duo asked. He knew if they found town they could find help.

"No, we have to find Wufei, first. . .at least before night fall," Heero uttered. He scanned for a signs of Shenlong.

They had some resources. Pooling them together was a good idea. Trowa said,"I got a pair of field glasses in Heavyarms. . .it might be some use!"

"Good. . .that's a start. We need something to use for the means of communications," Heero said.

"I've got a pair of walkie-talkies. They're still in Deathscythe. Hopefully they didn't get broken in the reentry," Duo pointed out.

"Where are they?" Duo asked.

"I don't know," Duo sighed. With the reentry those walkie-talkies could be anywhere in the Gundam.

"Look. . .lower me down to the cockpit and I'll find them," Quatre said as he pointed to himself. He was willing to take a risk. Even if it was on someone else Gundam.

"Hurry," Heero said. "We have no idea what time it is or how long we have in the way of daylight!"

Duo untied the rope form his middle. He handed it to Quatre. Quatre quickly tired the rope around his middle. Trowa and Heero lowered Quatre down in to the cockpit. After twenty minutes of searching, Quatre shouted in a muffled tone,"I found them!"

Quatre was pulled up. He held the straps of the walkie-talkies in left hand. He handed them to Duo. Duo tested them to if they worked. They did work after a minute of loud static.

Heero told Duo, Trowa and Quatre to break up in to two groups. Duo and Quatre were going to stay and build some sort of shelter. While Heero and Trowa were going to hunt for Wufei. They going to use the walkie-talkies as a form of commutations between the two groups.

Trowa tied on end of a rope to a hatch way hook of Deathscythe's hull. All four Gundam pilots scaled down the outside frame of Deathscythe. Heero told grimily Duo and Quatre,"I and Trowa are going to Heavyarms for those field gasses. You guys stay here or close by. Is that understood!"

"Yea," Duo uttered quietly.

Quatre nodded his head.

Heero and Trowa marched in the knee deep snow. Quatre and Duo stayed behind at the wrecked body of Duo's Gundam. They had to set up a shelter for the night. Sandrock wasn't too far away from Deathscythe. Quatre kept the second walkie-talkie on as did Trowa with the first.

Heero and Trowa saw a pile of black and white metal in the distance. Trowa turned his field glasses on the pile. It was the rubble of Shenlong. "Trowa what is it?" Heero asked.

"It's Shenlong!" Trowa said as he removed the field glasses from his eyes.

"Trowa get a hold of Quatre," Heero uttered quietly.

"No," Trowa whispered as he tried to block out the seance of the crash. "Wufei!"

The field glasses fell with a thud on the virgin snow.

"Quatre! Quatre!" A voice crackled through the walkie-talkie.

Quatre and Duo were making a crude shelter from broken tree limbs and a couple of tarp that were in Heavyarms. Trowa dug them out just in case in his Gundam was going to be spotted or not. He gave them to Quatre after he and Heero found Quatre.

"Who was that?" Duo asked. He stopped tying the wire that was holding two branches together.

"It's Trowa. . ." Quatre said. "They must of found Wufei!"

Quatre was holding the two branches. He placed his left hand underneath the branches that Duo was tying the wire around. He trying to steaded them with one hand. Then, he reached down to his cloak. He grabbed the walkie-talkie from the large pocket. He placed it near his face. "Trowa," he asked. "Is that you?"

A second static. Then, Trowa said,"Yea. We found Shenlong or what's left."

"What's left?" Quatre became alarmed. The unthinkable. . .Did it come to pass?

"Maybe. . .we don't know how much damage that Shenlong took during the impact!" Trowa remarked.

"We'll be there in a few minutes. Where are you guys!" Quatre asked.

"North by northwest. Use your compass. . .Trowa out," Trowa said.

"You use your flares when you see us!" Quatre said. "Quatre out."

"I pray that Wufei is O.K." Duo said as he tied a knot in the wire frame to make sure that the two branches were tight.

"Me too!" Quatre sighed as he replaced the walkie-talkie back in the cloak pocket.

Quatre and Duo started to walk in the knee deep snow. It seemed endless sea of white. They followed the directions that Trowa gave them. Quatre used his compass. Duo kept his eyes trained on the horizon.

Trowa and Heero hurried through the thick snow. They saw a smaller heap laying next to

broken pieces of Shenlong. As they came closer, Trowa and Heero saw Wufei laying unconscious. Wufei was laying on his side. Heero saw small trails of blood coming from Wufei's body. "WUFEI!" he cried out in anger. His anger wasn't against Wufei. It was against the Mobile Dolls. . .against OZ. . .against Zeck.

They stood now at Wufei's side. "Wufei!" The word seemed to be caught in Heero's throat. His tone was softened. "Can you hear me?"

Wufei was sprawled out on stomach when he landed. He was still cognizant of his surroundings. He was now suffering a great deal of pain. He was thrown out of Shenlong as it crashed in the earth. Gritting his teeth, Wufei tried to sit up. It only lasted for a couple of minutes. Then, a ringing noise pounded on his head. He instantly slipped into unconscious state as he body fell on his side.

Heero bent down at Wufei's side. He reached out to touch Wufei's neck. He hoped to find a pulse. After a minute of searching, Heero did find a pulse. It was extremely weak. Heero thought as he took Wufei's pulse,"Wufei must of lost a lot of blood."

Wufei was beginning to appear very drained in his colour. Heero told Trowa to help him get Wufei on his back. He was going to clean up Wufei's wounds. Heero always carried with him a first-aid kit. He dug it out of Wing after it crashed on earth. If Wufei's wounds weren't cleaned and dressed, Wufei could die.

Trowa contacted Quatre. He told Quatre and Duo to get a blanket, some rope and a couple of branches. They needed to make a stretcher to carry Wufei back to the camp.

Heero and Trowa were trying to get Wufei's jacket off. They saw a few minor cuts on his body. Heero unzipped his jacket Trowa held Wufei's left arm gently as Heero slipped the sleeve of Wufei's jacket off the arm. There were a couple of large gashes on his upper arm. Heero said in a hurried tone,"We've got to stop the bleeding with a pressure bandage. There is gauze and tape in the medi-kit."

He had the first aid opened after he and Trowa knelt down to see how bad Wufei was. Trowa pillowed Wufei's head on his lap. While Heero was on Wufei's left. Heero's hands moved to the kit in quick movements. He took out six large gauze pads from the kit. Then, Heero pulled out a small bottle of antibiotic gel. Heero opened one of the gauze pads. He carefully soaked it in the gel. The antibiotic smell hit Wufei's face. Wufei was coming around. Trowa's eyes shifted down to the peaceful face. He told Heero that Wufei was waking up. Heero asked a little loud,"Can you hear me, Wufei?"

In a dazed voice, Wufei groaned,"Yea!"

"Good. This might sting a little," Heero started to pat gently of the of large gashes on Wufei's arm.

Wufei's mouth beared down hard as he closed his eyes to block out the pain. He felt the gel, burning. After Heero cleaned up the two wounds, he carefully dressed them. He taped two large gauze pads over the wounds. Then, he wrapped some extra gauze over the area which surrounded the wounds. Wufei opened his eyes when heard Trowa uttered,"You are lucky. . .the wounds were close together."

"Yea. . .I wish that I wasn't injured," Wufei groaned in a whispered.

"Let me see about that other arm!" Heero said.

Trowa helped Wufei with the other sleeve. The were no gashes on the other arm.

A hissing noise flew above their heads. Trowa and Heero glanced up to see a pair of mini-rockets zooming past Shenlong. It meant that Duo and Quatre were near by. Oz couldn't have responded so quickly in this recuse mission. They would be under the impression of all five Gundams were destroyed.

Duo carried a pair of long branches on his left shoulder. Around and down his left shoulder was a coil of rope. Quatre held a large blanket. When they saw Wufei, Duo and Quatre were in shock. Duo nearly dropped the branches. Quatre held the blanket a little tighter.

Trowa told Wufei to hold his arms at his sides. He was going to slip the coat over Wufei's battered body. Then, Heero asked Wufei if he could move his feet. Wufei moved slowly his left foot without a problem. Then, as he tried to move his right foot a sharp pain hit him. He let out an agonized scream. His eyes snapped shut to block out the suffering which he was feeling at the monument. His breathing came in short gasps. Tears were running down his face. The pain was too much. Trowa held Wufei still by using his hands over Wufei's shoulder. "Your leg must of crackled if you were thrown out of Shenlong during the impact," Heero observed the change in Wufei's condition.

Blinking, trying to think straight, Wufei slowly opened his eyes. "I think. . .don't remember!" he groaned, desperately trying to block out the pain.

Duo said as he walked up to Heero,"That sounds like you need a splint, Wufei."

Heero glanced over his shoulder. He noticed the tree branches which were resting on Duo's shoulder. "How long are those two branches," he asked.

Duo did a quick scan for an assessment. Then, he smiled trying to bring a little light to this glum seance,"The longest I could find."

"Fine. . .we can make splint with one. With the other we'll make handles for the stretcher."

"Let me go," Wufei spoke up. He had managed to block out the pain for a minute. He was

thinking how better it was if he was left behind. To give others his chance to live. He said,"I'll just get in the way!"

Quatre, Trowa, Duo and Heero were shocked to hear Wufei giving up. He didn't want to do it in the past. That wasn't like Wufei to be letting go so quicky. Did he knew that he was not going to live? It was unthinkable. Quatre said gently,"Wufei. . .you can't be a burden to us."

Duo gazed down at Wufei. He stood next to Heero. He huffed a little dismayed,"No way. We're not letting you down!"

"You have been there for us. We are returning the favor," Trowa remarked with a quiet heart.

"There is nothing that is telling me. . .we should leave you. From the very beginning we have looked out for each other in own way. This war between the Gundams, the Mobile suits and Dolls have throw us into a family of sorts. I can't see myself leaving you or the others!" Heero vented sharply. "I have a feeling we can pull through this one like we have done in the past. They will find us. . .Miss Noin and Sally Po are good soldiers. Trust me!"

"Thank you," were the only words which came from Wufei's lips.

"Do you know how to set a broke leg, Heero?" Quatre asked. He took a position next to Trowa as he knelt. He knew that Heero was a solider. He never expected that Heero could dispense first-aid.

"Yea, I've set a few in my time?" Heero declared quietly. He wanted to make a good set. He didn't want to goof up on this temporary cast as he made a assessment on an unknown fact. He and the others didn't not know how bad the break was.

Duo didn't say anything. He didn't want to make Wufei uneasy. He had a bad memory of actually observing Heero setting his own leg after a bad fall from the fiftieth floor of the Federation Naval Hospital in District J‑B South. Heero glanced over at a quiet Duo.

"Where do you think. . .your leg is broken at?" Trowa asked. The question sounded a little ridiculous. They needed to know.

Wufei slowly shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't sure who bad the break was. Heero thought of binding the whole leg. Duo back away from the group. He was far enough that he wouldn't be in the way. He threw down the branches. They made no sound in the snow. Pulling out the pocket knife that Heero let him borrow. Duo found the middle of the branch, He found the knife blade. He bent down to start sawing to middle part of the branch.

Heero instructed Trowa to wrap his arms under and over Wufei's shoulders. They needed to brace Wufei's body to keep still. Then, Heero could use the splint with no problems.

Bracing Wufei, Trowa held anxiously his breath. He didn't want to hear Wufei's screams of pain if Heero was going to set Wufei's leg. Heero asked Duo if the branch that he was cutting was ready. Duo said,"Give me another minute."

The branch was held with the cut part down to the ground. Duo stood in a squatting poison. His left foot was resting on the branch. on the Duo placed his hand on one end. Carefully he bent the branch back. It broke in a blink of an eye. Duo moved his foot away from the branches. He stood up slowly. His eyes were on the seance for a minute. He tried to blank out vision. He prayed silently,"God. . .please. protect us!"

He walked over to Heero. He handed the two broken branches to Heero. Heero took one of the branches. He placed it on left side of Wufei's broken leg. The second one was placed on the other side. Heero peered for a couple of minutes at Wufei. He said to Quatre,"Quatre. . . grab Wufei's hand!"

Then, he said to Duo to the same.

"Why?" Duo asked as he walked over to Wufei's right side.

"To keep him from flailing, when I get this splint on his leg. I'm going to give you leg a sharp twist. Is that O.K.?" Heero asked Wufei. "I've got to reline your leg before I use the splint."

Wufei could feel Heero picking up his leg. He also felt his body being weighed down by the others after they took their positions. Heero told Wufei to brace himself after the count of three.

Wufei wanted to scream as Heero jerked sharply his leg. Tears flowed down his face. He tired to remained still as Heero wrapped the extra gauze around the leg. Then, it was done. Wufei was in great pain as he tried to struggle for the time to catch his breath. His teeth clenched down hard.

Now he was calm as his body began to relax. He was going to use a form of meditation to block out the pain. It was technique that he exercised rarely. The last words form his lips were,"Must sleep. I'm going to into a meditated trance. . .I'll be O.K."

Wufei feel into a deep sleep. The others watched in curious horror as Trowa started to attempt to keep Wufei awake. Heero asked in rapid tone,"See if he's breathing."

Trowa held a hand over Wufei's nose and mouth for a minute. He waited before saying,"He's breathing. . .it's steady. He must be unconscious."

Duo said,"Let's hope that he didn't go into shock."

Quatre murmured anxiously,"What if he did. We don't know. Why are we here. . . we are so far from a hospital of any sort. I hope Wufei wakes up soon."

Then, Quatre looked up at the sky. It appeared like a storm was raising in the distance. He told the others that the shelter was done. They needed to get out of the cold.

The night was dark, outside of a small campfire which was desperately clinging to itself. The night air was cold. Wufei awoke twice to asked where he was, before drifting into a sound sleep. Heero and Duo had a few extras, like blankets and dried food. Trowa know how to start a fire with a couple pieces of flint. He carried the flint with him. Cathy gave him the flint as a good luck charm. Quatre watched over Wufei. He was the quiet angel to the group. He had made sure that Wufei had a sips of tea or water during the time the pilot of the Shenlong was awake. He heard Duo talking to Trowa about Oz and the resistance. He heard Heero checking up Wufei. Then, he heard Wufei echoing a song and stories to a fallen love in his sleep.

Duo and Heero went out on the search for fire wood. Trowa tried his comlink to reach someone. He hoped for a sign of life from the outside.

The night wore on. Duo told Quatre, he was going to watch over Wufei. It was late. Quatre looked beat. Quatre incessant that he was going to watch over his fallen friend. Then, he yawned. His yawn gave away how tired Quatre was. "Rest, Quatre. You'll be needing it for tomorrow is another day!" Duo said quietly.

Duo watched as Quatre found a spot in the shelter to sit. He pulled the blanket his covered up a little closer. He blinked in sleepy contentment. Then, he was dozing in a peaceful state. "Night. . .Quatre. . .sleep tight," Duo said in a brotherly voice.

The next day was filled with mixed signs. Trowa was awaken to the sounds of birds singing. It was still dark out. He heard the wind blowing in the distance. He stuck out his head from the shelter. He was the closest to the door. He needed to start the fire. It had snowed the previous night. The fire pit was covered in the white stuff. He had to clean off the pit.

Quatre heard sounds of Heero stirring. Duo was untying the bandages to Wufei's arm. He was talking to the wounded Gundam pilot. "It's looking good. It must of stopped bleeding because of the cold. How do you feel?"

"The pain is still there!" Wufei smiled weakly. "I need to rest, uh?"

"Yea, it will a while before you get up and start running around," Duo said.

"I'm going out to get some wood. . .you want to come?" asked Heero. Heero stood near the sick bed.

"No. . .I have got to play with the radio. Someone had to be out there. They must have started to look for us by now," Duo said as he shook his head.

Heero looked at Wufei. He noticed that Wufei had a long road to fully recover from the crash if he was going to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere. He said in a sorry tone,"I'm sorry. . .I had to hurt you that way!"

"I forgive you," The words came from Wufei's heart. He was relived to have four angels looking after him and themselves. "I couldn't see anyone else do a better job!" he smiled sadly.

Trowa placed a couple of logs on the fire pit. He had a handful of dead weeds and twigs for kindling. He took his time in starting the fire. Some of the wood was still wet. He had only a couple of hands fulls of weeds and twigs to see them through at least four days. In all the day was shaping up into a good morning.

Quatre asked of he could help out on the find of extra fire wood. He needed to get out for at least an hour. He didn't mind watching over Wufei. He just needed to spend some time by himself. Heero hoped that Wufei was getting stronger. He still looked drained. Duo redressed the wounds with fresh bandages. Wufei felt his arm starting to hurt again. The pain wasn't as bad as his leg. He tried to move it. Wincing after a thread of sharp pain, Wufei stopped. He letting his arm fall back on the blanket. Heero and Duo glanced at each other. They wished for a MS to find them soon. Wufei was strong, but needed better medical treatments than what he was getting at the present time. Quatre asked diverting the attention away a little from Wufei,"How much wood do we need?"

"I don't know, but watch your back. If OZ isn't around. There are wolves and other wild creatures out in the woods. We can't defend ourselves with guns," Heero said with a touch of intimidation.

"That's good to know," Quatre said a little scared. He grew up in the desert where the animals were a little tamer. He had seen lions and other animals of his world. Outside of that, wolves were not something to mess around with up close.

"Hey, quit Heero. No beasts are out there. Most of them are asleep for the winter," Trowa said as entered the shelter. He overheard the lecture that Heero was giving to Quatre.

Heero appeared a little smug. He liked to tease the others when they weren't watching. That was his way to blow off some steam. Trowa knew that Heero was pulling Quatre's leg. He was going to bring Heero down a few pegs. He was just going to use knowledge instead of fists. Heero interrogated gently the silent pilot of Heavyarms,"Oh, you know all about animals?"

"Yes. . .at least the beasts at the cirrus can talk to me in their own way!" Trowa smirked.

There was a verbal blow at Heero's metal pride.

"What?" Duo asked with a raised eyebrow. He and other two were confused. What were Heero and Trowa talking about. Duo placed a hand up to his forehead. "This is getting strange!"

"I know about how dogs and cats can commutate with their owners, but. . ." Heero's voice trailed off. He had to think of something. He was truly outfoxed by Trowa's knowledge from the very short time he was around the animals in the circus.

"Stop. . .before we lose time over this lecture," Wufei said. He raised his good arm up towards Heero. He stopped the two talking. He felt disagreement was pointless. Heero and Trowa glanced down at a sightly annoyed Wufei "I never thought I would be hearing a talk about animals in the middle of the woods."

"O.K." Trowa conveyed a little smug. "Sorry, but Heero, you started this little talk. Are you going to apologize?"

"Yea, sorry! I just wanted to see what kind of person Quatre was. He's just as tough as me on and off the battle field!" Heero said. He bent his head a little shame faced. "We were never brought up on earth. We could survive out here if we had a better start."

Quatre just shook his head. Heero was testing Quatre's nerve. The son of wealthy a business man was strong in nerve during the heat of combat. What about the outside world of earth? Would they all survive in the wilds? Time would tell. Heero was pointing out a mere fact of earth life. He didn't mean to scare others.

Quatre smiled in great relief. He knew now that Heero was teasing him. They needed to stop thinking of the war in space and start thinking of a way to pull through this mishap.

The two got themselves ready to leave the shelter. They had to get small branches for the fire. Duo was going be to contacting someone from the colonies by radio. While Trowa watched over the fire and Wufei. Quatre and Heero left the shelter.

It was half past the hour, when Quatre and Heero had two small stacks of broken branches. Heero was finishing up his stack when he heard a noise. His nerves snapped to attention. All the years of combat made Heero sharp in all of his senses. It sounded like a twig breaking under someone's foot. Without blinked or breathing, Heero whipped around in a surprise attack. Heero dropped all, but one of the branches. Lifting the branch near his chest, Heero stood in combat mode in front of a wolf cub.

Heero didn't show his great relief on finding out that it was a wolf cub who was the noise maker. The cub jumped back a little startled. It yipped in a playful mood. It carefully stalked around the ground near Heero's shoes. It lowered it's head without taking it glance off of Heero. It sniffed around Heero's shoes. He didn't move. He attempted not to scare the cub off just yet.

A voice cried out Heero's name. It bounced and echoed in the woods. The voice shouted,"HEERO! HEERO!"

The wolf cub's ears perked up at the sound. The cub jerked to see where the noise was coming from.

"HEERO. . .WHERE ARE YOU?" the voice repeated.

Heero recognized who was calling his name. Shifted his eyes, Heero said out loud,"I'm here! Quatre, come to the sound of my voice."

The cub saw Quatre running towards Heero. It started to bark out of fear. It jumped back. Quatre came closer. He was surprised to see the cub. He smiled at the little wolf cub. It was growling in a stalking mode. Quatre stopped in front of Heero. He bend over in breathless excitement. The wolf cub yipped a couple of times. It was trying to warn this blond haired stranger to stay away from its keep. Quatre placed his hands on his knees. Slowly, he took a few deep breaths. The wolf cub growled again. Heero was curious. What was the excitement which made Quatre run over to him so fast. Did OZ come with Mobile Suits? Where they finally found, if even as prisoners of war. It was like Zechs to show up with an OZ troop. The others were in peerless doom if Zechs would show up a troop of MS. Quatre caught his breath. The wolf cub stood its ground. Heero asked,"What happened?"

"I found something!" Quatre spoke slowly between breath. Then, he stood up with a lazy stance.

"What?" Heero remained cool in his demeanor. This was not the time to panic.

The wolf cub yipped a couple of times before scrambling into the woods. Quatre saw the wolf cub disappearing. He asked Heero,"Who was that?"

Heero heard the wolf cub's yips now in the depths of the woods. "Just a little locals," Heero chucked softly. The cub was now running back to the safety of the holt of his clan. Heero lowered the branch down to his right side.

"I found something at next clearing," Quatre sounded very repetitive.

"Good or bad. . .Are there Mobile Dolls near by?" Heero's mind raced with the most worst case ideas that he could think of.

Quatre shook his head. Heero was instantly relieved. Then, Quatre uttered,"Come with me!"

Heero followed Quatre past the clearing to a piece of land were an unused cabin stood. Heero asked Quatre if there were anybody in the cabin. Quatre told him it looked it had been empty for quite a while. Quatre and Heero attempted to see if there were anyone in the cabin. There wasn't any smoke coming from the chimney. The snow hadn't been touched for weeks from the porch or the road. The cabin windows were covered over with mini-blinds and a thin veil of wet frost.

Heero told Quatre to carry a branch as a weapon. They didn't know who or what was in there. It could be a set up for a trap. Heero and Quatre crept up to the cabin. They squatted under a window. Heero glanced up at the window. There was no one inside by the appearances. Heero strained his hearing for any sounds after what seemed to be an eternity. There was not even a foot fall. Heero have an all clear sign to Quatre who was next to him.

Heero and Quatre went to the front door. Heero pulled out a thin piece of wire. He scanned the lock to make sure it hadn't frozen over from the cold.

Two minutes later, Heero jiggled the door knob. It was now unlocked. As Heero turned the knob, he whispered to Quatre,"Be careful!"

"Right!" Quatre whispered back.

The door was pushed opened. A thick coating of dust caked over the floor and furniture. There wasn't a living soul in the cabin. Quatre and Heero walked from room to room as quietly as ghosts. They made a quick assessment of the situation. It was at least shelter from the cold. The last room was a huge bedroom. There were five beds in the room. It seemed like a strange twist of sweet fate for Quatre to stumble across the cabin. They had to tell the others.

Quatre had contacted Trowa by walkie-talkie. He explained to Trowa that he and Heero came across a place to stay. Trowa told Duo after he was done with the commutation with Quatre what was found.

Quatre and Heero hurried back to the camp in the thick snow. They came with the news. Trowa had the fire going. Wufei was asleep. Duo was trying to get the radio to work. Heero and Quatre explained where the cabin was. The four Gundam pilots were sitting in the shelter.

There was a strange sound which echoed above their heads. It made the four Gundam pilots stop what ever they were doing. It had over tones of thunder. Wufei groggily awoke. Trowa heard him wake up. He sat with his back against the foot of Wufei's bed. Trowa turned his head to see what was going on. Wufei needed rest in order to get his strength back. Trowa told in a soothing voice,"Go back to sleep."

"What was that noise?" Wufei asked in a yawn.

"Nothing. . .there might be a storm approaching!" Trowa lied.

"Oh," Wufei whispered. Then, he closed his eyes.

Was it the Mobile Dolls? The four Gundam pilots thought in a unified idea, they were found. At this point they didn't care. They escaped from Oz very easily. They had to act fast if they did want to leave no traces behind them. They thought of Wufei. He could turn on them, if Oz caught them. He was just as sweet as a target as Trowa was when Lady Une trained him. Wufei could be drugged into hating his fellow Gundam pilots if he would recover in an Oz medical building.

The supplies were packed up quickly. The fire was put out by using hands fulls of snow. The radio was carefully packed up. Quatre and Heero got Wufei out of the shelter before they broke it down. Trowa kept his eyes on the sky for short spurts of time. He watched for any signs of OZ or Zecks.

An hour had past, no signs of an OZ Mobile Suit. The tiny band of Gundam Pilots made their to the cabin through the knee deep snow. Quatre lead the way. Duo and Trowa carried Wufei by a stretcher. Heero brought the up the rear as he guarded his brothers in arms. He prayed as the skies became heavy and grey. They took their time. Wufei awoke a couple of times on the trip. He looked up at Trowa. He asked,"Where are you taking me?"

"Quatre found a cabin! We are going to stay there until Sally Po finds us!" Trowa uttered with concern. He glanced down at the reserved pilot of Shenlong. He worried as the rest of them did for Wufei's health. He was injured and was exposed to the cold. He could be effected by the weather. There was a risk of a serious illness if Wufei was going to be in the cold any longer.

In the darkened cabin, Quatre and Heero showed Trowa and Duo where the bedroom was. It was the largest room in the cabin. There were five beds in the room. Trowa asked Duo of they could place Wufei in the bed which stood in middle the room.

Wufei was placed in the bed gently. Heero took Wufei's feet. Duo and Quatre took Wufei's legs and back. Trowa was last as he took Wufei's shoulders and head. They lifted Wufei on to the bed. They tied to slip his body across without hurting his broken leg. He complained about the pain. He groaned,"It hurts!"

Trowa said,"Hold your breath. Then, pain wouldn't be as annoying."

"You try to hold your breath when your leg is broke!" Wufei spat out. He tried not to move.

Quatre in a soothing tone,"Everything be will all right."

"Wufei does your leg ache?" Duo asked.

"Yea. . .a whole lot," Wufei groaned again.

"There. . .we're almost done," Heero breathed in an easing tone.

They positioned Wufei in the bed. He laid in the bed with his head turned towards the second wall. He wasn't mad at them. They were trying to make him as comfortable as they could. He was just frustrated.

Quatre went over a closet. He knew that Wufei looked uncomfortable. He opened the closet in a search for a couple of pillows. There were no extra pillows. Instead there were blankets. He pulled out two blankets from the top shelf. Duo asked as he watched Quatre,"What are you doing?"

"Using a couple of blankets to take the pressure off of Wufei's leg," Quatre said.

Wufei hated to be fussed with. He tried to say he could live with the pain. Heero told Wufei to relax. He felt better in a little while.

Quatre and Heero got Wufei's leg propped up. The pressure on his leg was nearly gone. He closed his eyes to block out the weary feeling. In a few minutes, Wufei was asleep.

Then, a roar ripped the stillness of the early evening. Trowa walked over to a window. He peered up at the skies. He didn't clean off the window in case of being spotted by a Mobile Doll. The room was growing darker.

Heero, Duo and Quatre moved to the door. Heero stood behind the door. While Quatre and Duo stood, pressed against the wall. For five minutes, they waited in the stillness of the room. The wind started to pick up. It rattled the windows. Then, Trowa saw a dark storm which blasted out of the skies. The cabin shuddered under the weight of the storm. The snow came down in clumps. Trowa said,"There are no MS out there."

The four Gundam pilots wanted to laugh at themselves. Their battle sharpened senses were getting to them. Quatre shook his head. Duo placed a hand over his eyes. Heero breathed a sigh of relief. Trowa reached up to pull down the cord to the mini-blinds.

The four Gundam pilots left Wufei sleeping in the bedroom. They carried flashlights as they walked down the hallway. They were still in dire straights. The food would last a week. The fire wood maybe, if they conversed only a couple of weeks. They had to get help fast.

Heero said as he walked down the stairs,"We got to check out this place. To see if there is any fire wood and supplies. It looks as though we are saved from the storm."

"This place is very small, but adequate," Quatre said, he stood near the stair-case.

"Heero, good thinking!" Duo said as he followed Heero down the saris.

"We have the radio," Trowa said, he waited at the foot of the stairs.

Heero, Duo and Quatre asked if Trowa would keep an eye on Wufei. Trowa said,"Yea, I'll call you if he wakes up!"

In the living room, the fire place was quite empty. There were two stacks of fire wood. It was enough for at least a month. The living room was very basic. Two chairs stood in the middle of the room. One was a rocking chair while the other was an old fashion straight back chair. A very plain sofa stood on one side of the room. Heero noticed an oil lamp one the far end of the fire place mantel.

The group moved to the dinner room. There was a large table with six chairs in the middle of the room. There was a glass fronted china cabinet on one end of the room. A smaller table, which was used as a service table stood near the door to the kitchen.

Duo walked over to the china cabinet. He saw plain white plates, bowls and cups. He reached down to one of the drawers. He pulled out the drawer to find out what inside. There were a couple of boxes of tapered candles staring back at him. "Man. . .look what I found!" Duo said in a surprised tone.

"What?" Heero asked as he and Quatre walked over to the cabinet.

"Candles! Two or no five boxes of candles," Duo gaped after counting the boxes. He picked up a box of the tapered candles.

Heero was handed the box after Duo looked at it for a minute. He said,"We'll have some extra light!"

"How many is in a box?" Quatre asked.

"The box states that there are ten in each one," Heero said as he shined his flash light on the box.

"Great. . .I'm going to check out the kitchen," Quatre said.

"I saw a door that was near the front room. I wonder where it leads to," Duo said.

"I'm not sure. . .but, I'm going to see what the weather is like from the front room. I hope with the storm. . .the snow doesn't ruin our Gundams!" Heero said, a little nervous.

"I'm going in the morning check out the rest of the place. . .I think I'm going to call it a night," Duo yawned. The cold was getting to him.

"Fine. . ." Quatre said. "I'm going to stay up a little bit more!"

"O.K." Heero said as he glanced over his shoulder.

Quatre turned to walk towards the door that lead to the kitchen. He pushed opened the door. The kitchen was small with only five cabinets. There was a sink with a small cabinet underneath. There was a frig, a microwave and a stove which sat side by side each other. Quatre

started to rummaging around the cabinets. There were stores of canned fruit, meat, milk and vegetables. Off to one side of the room were five large bottles weighing in at a hundred gallon a piece of water. Quatre scanned for other food in the cabinets. He pulled out a can to see what the due date was on the can. It said was still good until the third month of following year. He didn't need the others getting sick off of a can of food that was old.

Quatre went over to the frig. He opened it to find it was unplugged. So were the microwave and the stove. Quatre hoped for an answer to his question. How were they were going to eat if they didn't have any source of power to cook with.

Heero watched in nervous tension as the snow fell. He prayed for the storm to end. He wasn't to happy with the situation.

Heero heard a noise. He swung around to see Quatre standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. He said in a quiet even tone,"Oh, it's you!"

"Yea, I'm going to bed now!" Quatre said. He cocked his head to one side. He noticed that Heero's uneasy feeling about the storm. They both knew that he couldn't stop the storm.

Heero asked about the kitchen,"What did you find?"

"I found enough canned food to get by for at least a couple of months!" Quatre said softly.

"We ended up here!" Heero sighed as he bent his head in sadness. It rested against the window. The cabin had more than one blessing. Heero and the others were grateful for it. Heero's sadness was to see everything wrong happening to them in a rapid motion that he or the others couldn't control.

Quatre didn't get Heero's last statement. He asked,"What did you say?"

"Nothing!" Heero whispered. A cloud of steam hit the window where Heero's face laid next to.

The next day, the fire in the fire place was warming up the front room. There was a pot of oatmeal cooking on the fire. Duo and Quatre were cooking breakfast. Trowa had got the fire started. Trowa was now trying to get the radio to work. Heero was up stairs in the bedroom. He was checking up on Wufei's wounds. Heero sat on one side of the bed. They talked for a few minutes. "How did you sleep, last night." Heero asked.

"Not bad. The pain in my leg is gone. . . almost," Wufei smiled sadly. There was tiny bit of hope in his voice.

"Is it still there?" Heero said as he slowly removed the gauze from the wound. His touch was delicate as butterfly wings.

Wufei winced a little as the new piece of antibiotic gauze was placed on the wound. Then, he said,"Only when I move it. I heard there was a storm last night!"

"Yea, a real window rattler!" Heero snorted with a grin. The first-aid tape was carefully wrapped around the bandages. "How is your arm?"

"I can lift it this much. . ." Wufei said. He raised his arm near to Heero's chest. Heero didn't want Wufei to over use his arm.

Wufei heard Heero order him to put his arm down. Heero had cleaned and redressed the wound in under five minutes. There was a knock on the door. Heero walked over to the door. Quatre had a tray for Wufei. He smiled as he spoke,"How is Wufei!"

Heero said in a matter a fact tone,"Doing a lot better! He told me that he can lift his arm so far."

"That's great! There is still some breakfast down stairs!"

Heero moved to one side to let Quatre pass. Heero watched as Quatre walked over to Wufei's bed. Heero said that he was going to eat, then see what was in that room where Duo was speaking of. Quatre said,"Duo has too much curiosity."

"Yea, it's going to get the better of him," Heero sighed, shaking his head. Heero turned to walk down the hall.

Quatre placed the tray on the night stand. Then, Quatre asked if Wufei could sit up. Wufei scooted up in bed by using his good leg. Quatre started to arranged the bowl, silverware and cups on the tray. Then, he grabbed a large wash cloth. It was going to be used as a napkin. Unfolding the cloth, Quatre was going to place it under Wufei's chin. Wufei wanted to giggle. He was thinking to himself,"What's gotten into Quatre?"

Then, he said in a teasing way,"I'm not a baby."

"I know are you not, but you have only one good arm. You can feed you yourself with that arm. Uh?" Quatre said in a fatherly tone.

"Yea. I'm. . ." Wufei started to say.

Quatre was quick to cut in by saying,"I just don't want any messes!"

Then, the two pilots slightly embarrassed started to laugh at the situation. "Y'know, they would do that at the hospital," Quatre breathed with a relieved smile.

"O.K." Wufei breathed as he rolled his eyes. He felt the cloth going under his chin.

Quatre placed the tray with a bowl of oatmeal in front of Wufei. Wufei asked if he would like a little bit of sugar and milk on his oatmeal. Quatre fixed the oatmeal. Wufei was handed a spoon. With his good hand, Wufei stirred until the milk and sugar was gone. Quatre watched as Wufei fed himself. The pilot of the Shenlong was surprised to see how thin the oatmeal was. "Why is the oatmeal is almost like water?"

Quatre said hoping that his statement wasn't going to make Wufei upset,"So, your stomach would handle it. You took a real bad fall and broke your leg. It's going to take your body a while to heal. We don't want you to get sick. When I was in the hospital, they had me on an IV for the longest time. It hurt. . .but, when I was off. . .I had to start eating again."

"When was this?" Wufei said after swallowing a spoonful of the hot cereal.

"When Sandrock was destroyed," Quatre sighed. The gentle Gundam pilot remembered the time when he woke up and found himself in a make shift hospital in the desert. He was in pain It took a long time for his delicate body to heal. He didn't like the IV.

Wufei ate a few more spoonfuls of oatmeal as he listened to Quatre's story of the near loss of his beloved Sandrock. Quatre asked,"Do you need a drink?"

"Yea, what do you have?"

"Hot tea or apple juice?"

"I'll take the apple juice. So, that what happened to Sandrock. It blew up."

Quatre had a mug of apple juice with a straw. Wufei watched as the straw came up to his lips. Quatre guided the straw. Wufei opened mouth as Quatre aimed the straw into Wufei's opened mouth. Wufei felt the straw resting on his tongue. He closed his mouth and took a long sip.

" Did you have enough?" Quatre asked, his blue eyes were full of hopeful questions.

Wufei stopped. He let the straw rest on the edge of his lower lip. He nodded as he took a long breath. It felt good to have something in his stomach. Quatre reached over to stay the straw away. He watched as Wufei cleaned off his lips with the wash cloth. Wufei placed the wash cloth inside the bowl. Then, he took the cloth, bowl and spoon and gave them to Quatre.

Quatre cleaned off the night stand. He asked Wufei before leaving to do the dishes,"Would like to see what's outside?"

"If more snow. . .no!" Wufei sighed.

"O.K." Quatre said as he picked up the tray. "Then, I'll let you rest!"

"Fine. . ." Wufei smiled. He watched as Quatre picked up the tray. The gentle Gundam pilot left the room.

Duo and Heero were trying to jimmy a lock. The wire that had opened the front door was being used again. Slowly the lock on the door was neatly forced opened. The door was unlocked. The knob was jiggled to see if it was. Heero and Duo walked in the room. Their flashlights were used to guide them into the dark room. The room divided into smaller room by the use of curtains. At one end of the room was a table. There were cabinets near the table. On a far wall was a picture of the human body. Duo couldn't make out what this place. He asked in astoundment,"What is this place?"

"It looks like a doctor's office," Heero said. He was quick to make the assessment.

"In the middle of nowhere?" Duo turned to ask Heero. He had places like this on earth. . .but actually seeing one was a different story.

"Yea, it was probably used for emergencies. There must be a skiing lodge or something like that close by."

"What's that?" Duo said as he shined his flashlight on a small wooden box. It stood on a small wooden platform near the wall facing them.

"I don't know!"

Duo and Heero walked over to the platform. Heero shown the light on the box. It appeared to a portable radio set. "We might have some good luck after all. Better than we had hoped for," Heero said.

Duo shined his light on the radio. The words 'radio unit' were done up in red letters. "It looks like a radio," Duo said.

"Let's see if it can be opened and used."

Duo and Heero were to the front room. They were carrying other radio set in their hands. Trowa and Quatre were finishing up their task of washing the morning dishes. It wasn't easy for them. There wasn't any running water in the cabin. They had to melt snow to make dish water.

Duo and Heero placed the box on a small table. The small table stood on a far wall. Quatre and Trowa were putting the last breakfast dishes away in the china cabinet. Duo glanced over the box. Heero had the wire in his hands. Trowa peered over Duo's right shoulder. He asked,"What's that?"

"It's a portable radio unit," Heero said as he worked lock with the wire. "I'm surprised about this place. There is food, heat and a radio unit. It's like someone wants us to live."

"What did you find in that room?" Quatre said.

"The room look like a doctor's office!" Duo said.

"You're kidding us," Trowa said.

"No. . .this might a trouble shooter's station," Heero said. Heero was squatting down to get a better view of the lock. Then, they heard the lock clicking. It was being forced opened. Heero was good at picking locks. "We have a better radio. . .I hope."

Heero stood up. Duo and he took an end of the radio. They lifted the lid to the box was slowly opened. There stood the latest model of B-case radio and receiver. It looked new. There was still plastic film on the speakers. Heero looked for an on/off switch. Quatre remembered having the same type of radio in the desert. Trowa and Duo were surprised to see such a radio in such a remote place. Quatre said,"We had a model like this out in the desert. It can run on battery, solar or hand crank."

"When was this?" Trowa asked.

"Operation M. . .the Maganacs were in the desert. We needed something that was easy concealed and portable as well."

Heero found the on/off switch. He fingered very lightly. It took the radio a few minutes to warm up. A few minutes of static. Heero glanced over to one side to see where the mike was. Duo said,"There must be a battery pack inside."

"That's good," Heero sighed. Their luck was changing very sightly.

"We can't be too careless. We must obverse total obscurity. If Oz finds us here. . .then we can leave our old lives for good," Trowa warned.

"Yes, we can't tell Wufei just yet about this," Quatre agreed."We have to keep an eye on him. . .in case he gets worse!"

"The life we are leading right now is too risky. Our Gundams are hidden for now. We will use the radio. . .for a couple of minutes on the hour," Heero said.

"Good thinking, Heero," Duo said.

"Then, what?" Quatre asked.

"We'll keep the lines opened to see if we can hear someone. Then, we can contact them," Trowa said.

"Understood!" Heero uttered quietly.

"Agreed!" Quatre said.

Duo nodded his head.

Quatre and Duo were exploring one side of the cabin. They haven't found anything yet. Quatre opened up a closet door. A fog of dust hit the unknowing pair of pilots. Quatre and Duo started to sneeze from the dust. They blinked as they walked away from the closet. "We got to be a lot more careful. We might get more than we bargained for in this place," Duo coughed a little.

"Yea, I guess you are right," Quatre said as he wiped the tears from his eyes with a sleeve.

After the dust settled, Quatre walked into the closet. He found a pair of broken skis, a unused pile of note books, a stack of CDs and a portable player. He handed the CDs to Duo. Then, he took the pile of unused note book from the closet. Duo walked over to the window. He began to read the titles of each one. There were a few music CDS. The rest of them were old time radio shows. Duo walked over tot he a small table which stood near the sofa. Quatre asked out of curiosity,"What are the CDs?"

"Mostly old radio shows. A couple of them are the classical type. The rest is music. . . a real mix of everything," Duo said as he began to place the jewel cases on the table.

Quatre walked over to the other side of the table. He placed the note books on other side of the table. He opened one up to see if the note books had any information to this cabin. He discovered it to be blank. A little discouraged, Quatre closed the book. Duo peered up at Quatre. He asked,"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. . .there are no clues to this place. I hope Heero's intuition is right!" Quatre uttered in a little dismayed.

"There are clues. They may be little. . .but, it's indication of what these people were like before we came," Duo said as he glanced over a comedy CD. It was marked with black and white pictures of people who lived years before the Gundam pilot's grandparents were not even born yet.

Quatre walked back to the closet. He bent down to get the player out of the closet. Grabbing the player, Quatre looked to see if there was a battery pack inside. He found the back to the player. He pried the lid to the battery pack case open. He walked back after see that there was still a fresh pack inside. The player was placed on the table. Quatre looked for a power switch. He asked for a cd. Duo gave him a classical music cd. The power button was found. Quatre set up the player. A couple of minutes had past and the room was filled with Mozart's Jupiter's symphony. Quatre turned to see what else was in the closet. "Let see what's on that shelf!" Quatre said.

"What shelf?" Duo asked. He turned to understand what Quatre was viewing.

"There is one above us in the closet!" Quatre pointed out.

Quatre took a chair form the front room. He stood the chair inside the closet. He asked if Duo could steady the chair as he climbed on it. Duo didn't think it was such a wise idea. He didn't want Quatre getting hurt. Quatre scolded the pilot of Deathscythe. Quatre hopped to the middle of the chair. He wiggled a little. Quatre leaned forward as he peered inside the closet. Duo held the back the of the chair in place with both hands.

There was a box on the shelf. Quatre reached out with both of his hands around the box. The box was a little top heavy. He began to tug on the box. Quatre felt the wight of the box shifting to his side. A loose book began to slide around on top of the stack of books inside of the box. It instantly slid off. It skidded in mid-air. Sailing past Quatre's body, it landed on top of Duo's head. Duo yipped,"Ow!"

Quatre stopped his tug of war with the box. He turned to see what going on. Glancing down, he asked Duo,"What happened?"

"Nothing. Would you be a little more careful. Now I got a lump on my head!" Duo groaned a little.

"From what," Quatre asked as he turned back to the closet. The box seemed to be stubborn. The weight from Quatre's tugging made it hard to move the box any other way but forward. Duo shook his head. The book thudded to the ground.

"A flying book," Duo said as he raised a hand to his head. He began to rub the sore spot.

"Uh?" Quatre began to tug at the box. The box wouldn't give in. Little by little the box inched a long the shelf. Quatre felt the box giving in. Then, with a great pull, the box dropped. a shower of books thudded to the floor. Some of them nipped at Quatre's knees and feet. Quatre bit his lower lip hard. The pain was quick. Instantly, Duo grabbed Quatre by the stomach. Quatre felt the wind being knock out of him. His feet began to slip. He tried to keep his balance, by moving waving his arms about. Then, he lost his control. Quatre's weight shifted to one side. Duo felt his weight moving as well. Finally, Quatre and Duo came crashing down to the floor.

The noise of two human bodies landed broke the even stillness of the morning. Trowa entered the room. The Cd player skipped a beat for a minute. Then, it went back to it's performance of the Jupiter Symphony. Trowa walked over where the pair were sprawled out on the floor. Quatre laid on his stomach. While Duo laid on his left side. Trowa's glance shift to the pile of books and a broken box. He bent down to see if they were hurt. "Is everything all right?" he questioned, Quatre.

Quatre was who laying two feet from Duo, tried to move his arms. He attempted to get in a crouching stance. He shook his head. All of his wits were pushed to one side. "I never want to do that again!" Quatre groaned.

Duo blinked his eyes. He felt a little sore. He placed a hand up to his head. Trying to catch his breath, Duo groaned,"Hey. . .did anyone get the number of that truck!"

Quatre managed some how to get all four. He crawled away from the aftermath. Trowa stood up. He walked over to see how Duo was coping. He bent down to help to sit up,"What happened?"

"The box must have collapsed. Then, there was a shower of books!" Duo recalled the events that just happened. He began to rub his hands together. "Quatre, are you O.K.?"

"Yea. . .are you?" Quatre breathed as he tried to get his heart to stop beating so fast. This was a first time that Quatre was scared. He never expected to be in such a frightening predicament. He wanted to see what was on that shelf. He got more than he ever dreamed of. He moved around into a sitting pose. He touched lightly his feet and knees. He was also going to be sore for a little while. He had to keep his curiosity under control.

"A little bruised. . .I think I'll live," Duo sighed with a grateful smile. He was glad that Quatre didn't get hurt. Quatre had the same feeling about Duo.

"Thank Ali. . .that we didn't get seriously hurt," Quatre sighed.

"What are those books?" Trowa asked. He stared at them for a minute.

"I don't know. I just need an aspirin for my head," Duo sighed. "The books are from the closet."

"The belong to anyone who lived in this place before we came," Quatre said.

Trowa, Quatre and Duo were in the living room. They were given each a cold compress each. Duo sat on the straight back chair. His right hand held the compress on his forehead. The pain from the fallen book was gone. Quatre was laying down on the sofa. Trowa placed four hot compresses on Quatre's knees and feet. Quatre had the cold compress on his side. It ached a little.

Trowa sat on the floor and read out loud. He glanced over a couple of books until he had found one that suited everyone taste. It was short stories from the 1930's. Trowa never dreamed he was going to read a book out loud stuck in the middle of nowhere. It seemed totally out of unsync with the rest of the world.

Heero was in the dinning room. He had been trying to contact someone on the radio. There was nothing. For at least five minutes, Heero used the SOS code. He hoped for a sign, a human whistle, voices or laughter. Any break from the noise of the empty world.

The night was quiet. Duo had helped Trowa with dinner. Heero got an other supply of firewood. Quatre helped Wufei with feeding himself. Heero, Quatre and Duo were now in the living room, reading. Heero found the owner's manual on the radio. He was hoping for a clue on how far the set could go. Quatre was reading the book Trowa had started. Duo was reading the bible. Quatre took the rocking chair. Duo laid belly down on the floor near the fireplace. Heero sat on the sofa.

There were a few a possible signs that someone was out there. If it was only music. Trowa was controlling the radio. He heard a singer, faintly. At first he thought it was the CD player. He went into the front room. He asked,"Is the player on?"

Quatre, Duo and Heero stopped reading. They all turned to see a astonished Trowa. Heero asked,"What is it?"

Trowa repeated himself,"Is the player on?"

Quatre remembered after dinner, turning the player off. He wanted to save on the battery. He said,"No, there player isn't on. Why?"

"Then, is anyone singing or talking?" Trowa became concerned. He hoping that no one was pulling a joke on him.

"Nope! Why do you asked?" Duo asked.

"Then, it's the radio itself. I heard something on the radio."

Heero, Quatre and Duo shot surprised glances at each other. Have they found a radio station that somehow they can contact. The possibilities were too great at the time. Trowa explained about the voice singing on the radio. There was life. . .if they could contact them. Quatre said,"There is someone. . .in a town?"

"Yea. I don't know where," Trowa said.

"But, it's a sign," Duo said. He turned to Heero who was thinking over the surprising news. Then, Duo said,"Why don't we check it out."

Heero said as he turned to Trowa,"Don't get ahead of yourself. We need to listen to it for a couple of minutes longer. To see where the signal is coming from."

They went to the dinning room. The radio was still on. There was a new song, a new singer. They waited until the song was finished. Then, the DJ came on the air. He mentioned about the weather and how cold it was. There was no mention about where the station was from. Duo came up with an idea. He asked,"What if we kept a record of the station. Not the songs, but the ads and who were the DJ's and the news. There has got to be local news on that station. The ads especially if they are local!"

"That's a smart idea!" Quatre said. Trowa and Heero both agreed.

"Then, we can pin point where we are located at," Heero said.

"We still need to use the SOS signal. . .in order to contact the colonies," Trowa said.

The next day, Quatre found out what the date it was by a news cast. There was no local news. The fact that OZ was still fighting, made him glad that he and others were lost. Then, he sent a series of SOS codes in case someone was listening.

Heero was re-suppling his first aid kit with fresh bandages and tape. He was going through some of the drawers in his search of fresh supplies. He found medicines, medical instruments and a book. He started to thumb through the book. It was sounded like a record of a doctor's log. Heero wanted to read more, but he and Trowa needed to clean the fireplace before they started breakfast.

He walked over to the fire place in the front room. He placed the book on the mantle. He was going to tell the others about it later in the day.

Trowa was trying to get Duo up. Duo's body know somehow it was saturday. He liked to sleep in on Saturdays. Three attempts of nudging's Duo's right shoulder to get him up was no use. He was a deep sleeper. Trowa was tried of nagging Duo to get up. He was going to use a more drastic measure to get the Great Destroyer up and ready for a new day.

Trowa quietly padded over to Wufei's bed. Wufei was asleep. His colour was coming back if only by little strains. Trowa placed a hand on Wufei's forehead. He wanted to know if Wufei's was running a fever. After a few minutes, Trowa knew that Wufei was normal. There were no ill effects from the weather or the crash. Trowa's hand moved down to Wufei's right shoulder. He gently shook Wufei awake.

Wufei opened his eyes slowly. The pain was still there. It was a bad reminder. He tried to move his leg. He bit his lower lip. Trowa watched as Wufei moved his leg. It seemed like a painful exercise. He said quietly,"Morning Wufei. How did you feel?"

Wufei stopped his exercise. He moved his leg back onto the blankets. He said as he glanced up at the mysterious pilot of Heavyarms,"I had a bad attack sometime during the night. The pain is less each day. Then, it comes back to tell it's still here!"

"Is it here now?" Trowa looked uneasy. He knew that Wufei was putting up a brave face on his injury.

"Now," Wufei breathed. "A little. . .I'm just tired from last night." His voice was in such low tones that Trowa believed Wufei was whispering.

Trowa hoped that Wufei could eat and keep it down. He asked,"Do you feel like eating?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe just a little tea and some crackers?"

Didn't sound like much. . .at least it was something that Wufei didn't get sick from. He sighed,"Yea.

"Then, I'll. . ." Trowa was about to say.

Then, he heard a noise. It sounded like little feet scurrying across the roof. He looked at Wufei. He wanted to wake up Duo. Could it be OZ? Slowly, Trowa's senses came on full alert. He asked Wufei,"Did you hear something?"

"Yea, I don't know what it was," Wufei uttered. He was just as inquisitive as Trowa.

Then, a series of squeaks and things bumping about above their head, made the two pilots look at each other. It sounded like a pair of squirrels that used the attic as a store for their cash of nuts and seeds. The little furry beasts were having a disagreement about something. So, they decided to play football with a loose acorn. Trowa told Wufei it sounded like they were being invaded by army of squirrels. That made Wufei laugh a little. He never heard of anything so silly in his life. Trowa battle senses were going to have to tone down a notch.

Wufei wanted to sit up. Trowa helped him to sit up in bed. He felt a little better. Trowa gently moved the blankets underneath Wufei's leg. Trowa told Wufei that he was going to get his breakfast. He was pulled up the blanket up over his chest. He was getting a cold.

Wufei watched as Trowa left the room. He turned to see Duo still not up yet. He was going to get this guy up in a way that his mother got him up when Wufei was young. He called out Duo's name. "Hey Duo!"

Duo heard his name. He mumbled a sleepy,"Yea."

"Don't move. . ." Wufei began to say.

Unknowing, one of the attic squirrels slipped thought a hole into the bedroom. It climbed

down to the bedroom. It decided to use Duo's bed as a safe for it's nut and seed stash. It ran around in the room. It hopped up on the bed. It began to search for a spot. It scrawling around on Duo's shoulder. It lowered it's face with a twitching nose in full smell mode. Duo, half asleep thought that it was Hilde tickling his ears and neck.

Wufei watched the two. He had to design everything out. He wanted his plains to be prefect. "There is something on your bed," he said.

"What Wufei. . . stop Hilde! That tickles!" Duo giggled loudly.

The squirrel began boring a small hole in between on the covers with it's paws. Duo started to swat the air. His giggling protests were becoming annoying.

Out of nowhere the squirrel decided to stick it's nose in where Duo had the covers pulled over his head. He felt the squirrel's nose brushing against his right cheek. "Stop it!" Duo snorted, as he moved his face out the way of the squirrel's nose.

Duo opened his eyes half way.

Wufei was about to say,"There is a snake on your bed."

Then, Duo screamed as he saw a black beaded eyed thing coming towards his face.

"What?" Wufei asked loudly.

Without saying a word, Duo squirmed quickly out of bed. He landed with a thud on the wooden floor. Gasping, Duo tired to pull the sheets away from his body. His heart was pounding in his chest. "What on. . ." Duo began to say. His left hand went up to his chest.

Wufei stared at Duo. He gently interrogated Duo,"Are you all right?"

"That thing. It's a rat?" Duo gasped as he pointed to a lump that was moving under the sheets.

"A rat?" Wufei slowly said. He tried to think of the rats that if he saw as a child on the streets of his home town. There was no memory of seeing such a creature. He might of seen them on Earth, but that was just the extent of them.

"I wish I had a gun. . .then I would the end that pest," Duo gasping, he was very shaken up.

"Are you sure?" Wufei asked with a raised eyebrow.

Then, the squirrel popped it's head from under the sheets. It squeaked a surprised hello. It began to hop around the bed. It stretched out to view the bedroom. It swiped at it's nose. Wufei said,"I think your rat looks remarkably like a squirrel."

It cocked it's head at the pair before hopping over to other end of the bed. It bounced to the floor. It darted underneath a chest-drawer. Sticking it nose only so far. Duo sat on the floor staring at his hands for a minute. He took a deep breath. Wufei tried to roll over to the side that faced Duo. He felt relieved and sorry for Duo. He said,"You are hurt?"

"Naw, just scared. . ." Duo sighed as he blinked out the last bits of sleep from his eyes.

Meanwhile, Heero, Quatre and Trowa were having their breakfast in the dinning room. They stared up at the ceiling after they heard Duo's screaming at the squirrel. Heero said,"Duo is up!"

Trowa sighed as he stretched his right hand. He rolled his eyes as he gripped,"Finally!"

"He must have had a bad dream. . something had scared him. He did let out a scream," Quatre said with concern. The other two stared at Quatre for a minute. Was Duo another victim of the crash? They didn't know. Quatre stood up to clear the table. He hoped that Duo wasn't suffering any stress.

Trowa and Heero wanted to keep an eye Duo. They wanted to see if he was going to break from the stress of the crash. Trowa told Quatre and Heero that he was going up in a few minutes with Wufei's breakfast. Heero said,"Are you sure that Wufei is safe with Duo?"

"I think he is. He looks like he can hold his own," Trowa said with a hint of confidence towards Wufei.

Heero was going to try and contact anyone who was listening on the radio.

Trowa was climbing up the stairs. A small tray was laid out with a couple cups of tea and small bowl of crackers. He heard Duo and Wufei talking. Duo took the liberty to redress Wufei's wounds. He was placing the last piece of tape around the wound. Trowa walked in the room. He said,"What happened to you, sleepy head?"

Duo heard Trowa's remarks. Duo was going to get upset with Trowa. He sighed softly. Then, he turned to see Trowa walking over to Wufei's bed. "Nothing. . .we just have a little bit of company."

"Yea," Trowa asked as he watched as Duo cleaned up the area where the bandages and tape were.

"Yea," Wufei uttered as he shot a sidelong glance at Duo.

"Who is the company?"

"A squirrel!" Duo pouted. He wasn't sure that he was being teased or not. "In fact, he or she is under that chest drawer!"

"Which one?" Trowa asked. He knew that there were two sets of chest-drawers.

"That one" Duo pointed to the second one. "It was trying to bite me!"

"Squirrels are not meat eaters," Trowa said in a matter a fact tone. He placed the tray down the night stand.

"It doesn't mean a thing," Duo said as he shook his head. Then, his mood turned to a serous one. He said softly,"Do you think they have given up on finding us?"

Wufei sounded hopeful said,"I think they haven't. It's just the fourth day."

"Yea, Duo. . .Heero and Quatre are working hard daily, trying to make contact with Miss Noin!" Trowa said. He closed his eyes for a second. It seemed like a sign of prayer to Trowa. He was quiet and very soft spoken. He hoped that somewhere there was a miracle just waiting to happen. He opened his eyes.

"Can I have a word with you for a minute!" Duo said. He turned his face away from Wufei. An anxious look flashed in Duo's eyes. He heard Wufei groaning a little. His eyes shifted to see what was going on. Wufei was trying to ease himself onto his back once again. He was not attempting to hurt his leg.

Both Duo and Trowa excused themselves. They walked out of the room. Trowa turned tell Wufei,"I'll be back in a few minutes."

There was no response from Wufei. Trowa did notice that Wufei was a little sleepy.

In the hallway, Duo and Trowa were discussing about what Duo saw. "There is something I saw!" Duo sighed, he was worried about Wufei's condition.

"What is it?" Trowa asked.

"When I was changing the bandages on Wufei's arm. The wound looked funny."

"In what way?" Trowa asked. He was curious.

"There was a sight puffiness to the sore. It doesn't seem to be healing fast." Duo alleged. His eyes had a brooding look in them.

"Are you sure?" Trowa said. He checked Wufei's temperature. There was no fever. He

showed signs of not being hungry. Duo told Trowa that it was important to watch for any signs of Wufei's condition weakening. Trowa said,"I know what to watch for, but why the concern? I thought he was getting better."

Duo tried not to let his feelings get a hold of him at this time. He turned his head away from Trowa. He said," I had a friend who died from a virus. . .when I was just a kid."

"The kid was the same kid who you ran with on streets in the colony?" Trowa asked quietly. He could sense Duo pain in his voice.

Duo finished,"That's basically how I showed up on the Church of Maxwell's door step."

"Oh," Trowa said a concerned for Duo's reliving the past. He knew that Duo had a hard child hood. Would this turn in events bring the suffering that he lived through. Then, he asked out of his own concern,"Are you protecting Wufei from the unknown?"

Duo faced Trowa once again. He said a little hurt,"We don't know that. I just got a feeling. I don't want him to go the same way. I was too young when I saw Solo die."

"Sorry," Trowa said sympathically. His eyes stared at the Great Destroyer for a minute. He read into Duo's past by studying this young man's face. Then, he said as a brotherly smile spread across his face,"I'll be watching for those signs too. It must of have really been tough for you when you were growing up at Saint Maxwell's."

"Yea, I'm just glad to come out of it, alive!" Duo snorted with a happy pout. He wasn't going to let the past hurt him this time.

Wufei ate slowly. His stomach was starting to get uneasy. He didn't ask for seconds. He knew an illness was coming his way. He didn't desired the others to find out if he was coming down with an ailment. Trowa gave him spoonfuls of tea, slowly. The mysterious pilot of Heavyarms ask Wufei if he didn't mind if he got his tea by the spoonfuls this time. He said,"No."

"Are you sure? I can get a straw?" Trowa asked. His eyes were trying be to gentle and brave at the same time.

"I don't care. . .as long I can eat for a few minutes . . .that's all."Wufei breathed. A sad grin past his lips.

Wufei told Trowa that he was tired. He just wanted to sleep for a while. Then, he try to move his wounded arm. He slowly raised it up towards the ceiling. He stopped short. The pain to began to make Wufei's arm throb. Trowa was cleaning up as Wufei tried to excises his arm. He didn't see Wufei grit his teeth from the pain as the arm fell noiselessly back on the bed.

Duo and Heero were complying the notes from the previous day's log. Duo looked around for a minute. He noticed something sticking out form behind the china cabinet. Heero was telling Duo about the one mention of the location of the radio station. Duo said,"Heero, I see what looks like a pipe coming from the cabinet."

Heero walked over to the china cabinet. He thought it was a pipe sticking out from behind the cabinet. He walked to the side where it was. He bent down to get a closer look at the pipe.

It may look like a pipe. In fact, it had a stopper attached to the end. Heero ran a hand on the strange pipe. Then, he felt a curve in the pipe's frame. He turned his head to get a better view of the pipe.

Duo asked as he saw Heero trying to pull out the so called pipe from back of the china cabinet. "What are you doing?"

"I found something. . . it might help Wufei get on his feet a lot sooner," Heero said as he tugged on the pipe.

"What is it?" Duo stood next to the china cabinet.

"A set of crutches!" Heero pulled out the crutches. He stood up to see how long they were.

Duo saw the crutches as Heero back away from the cabinet. He noticed that they were a little tall for Wufei, but they could be adjusted for him. He felt a small glimmer of hope passing over his spirit. Wufei will recover quickly with the caring support of his friends.

"Whoever had these didn't use them for very long. . .they look like they are new!" Heero's hand rested on the crutches top.

"How can we get him up and around. I don't want to do something that might hurt him," Duo said out of concern.

"Don't worry. I know how to care for a person who has a broken leg. I helped out a person who broke his leg years ago. I'm just a kid, but I learned a lot from the experience."

"Then, you'll teach us, I mean Trowa, me and Quatre?"

"Yes, it's going to be hard at first. . .Wufei is going to hate us for sure, but," Heero said.

Duo looked at Heero with his famous grim smirk. He finished out Heero's statement,"But, in the long run. . .he will get better even he tries to kill us with his words. He'll be a better person for the fuss."

Wufei was listening to Quatre as the gentle Gundam pilot read to him. It was book called,'My life and hard times' by James Thurber. Wufei sat up in bed. Two pillows and a large roll of blankets were used as props for his back and legs. Quatre sat on a chair that was in the room. They both laughed at the funny parts and the silly drawings of Mister Thurber.

There was a knock on the door jam. Quatre look up from his reading. He said,"Yes, what is it?"

The door to the bedroom was opened. Duo stuck his head into the room. A wistful look was on his face. He said trying to sound mysterious,"We got a surprise for Wufei!"

Wufei turned his head to see Duo. He asked,"What's it?"

He and Quatre exchanged curious glances. What did Duo and Heero have for Wufei? They had to be patient.

Duo smiled as he came into the room. He carried the crutches across one shoulder. He said,"It's this?"

"Where did you find them?" Wufei questioned Duo. He and Quatre were both astounded.

"Heero found them behind the china cabinet!"

"Why," Wufei sighed. "I'm fine without them." His annoyance level was up. He didn't want the others to make a fuss over him. He just wanted to be left alone. Wufei felt like a weight that was dragging everyone else down.

Duo shot a miffed glance at Quatre. They both know that Wufei needed treatment, even if it was home spun. He said a little tartly,"I don't think so."

"Why can't you use them?" Quatre asked Wufei. He grabbed his fellow Gundam pilot by the chin. He gently forced Wufei to look at him. There was a look of bitter determination in Quatre's blue-green eyes. He hoped that if Wufei would see the crutches, then the fiery pilot of the Shenlong would be able to get around on his feet sooner.

Duo walked over to Wufei's bed. Quatre scolded Wufei before letting go of his chin. Then, Quatre looked up at Duo who now stood at the left end of the bed.

"You have to learn how to crawl before you learn how to walk," another voice said.

"Yea, who needs your advice!" Wufei huffed as he pulled the covers up to his chin.

It was Heero who spoke. He slowly walked into the room. He knew he was going to get restraint from Wufei. Wufei had to snap out of the bitter-sweet mood that he was in. Heero was going to push Wufei into early recovery even it was the last thing he would do.

"I don't need you guys fussing. I can do things by himself!" Wufei huffed.

Quatre criticized Wufei,"You can't make up your mind! You say that you can do things for yourself. Then, you say directly the opposite!"

Quatre's voice had acidly tones. He didn't want to be harsh. Wufei was getting to the point of needing a good shove into reality.

Wufei didn't say a word. He knew Heero and others were trying to help him get better.

Duo was reminded of memory from his past at the church. There was a boy who was in the same situation as Wufei. He was nagged by the nuns until he broke down. He started to do things by himself with some help from the nuns.

Duo asked Quatre and Heero to step outside for a minute. He needed do to a pow-wow with them. He was going to get Trowa into it as well.

"What is this about?" Trowa asked as he and the four Gundam pilots sat on the top of the stairs.

"Wufei refuses to use the crutches," Duo said.

"What?" Trowa's left eyebrow shot up. "Where did you find crutches?"

"I found them behind the china cabinet," Heero griped. He ran a hand through his hair.

"He just plain stubborn if you ask me. Yet, he is also scared!" Quatre sighed as he drew up his knees. His chin rested on the knee caps.

"Scared of what?" Duo asked. He glanced at Quatre.

"I'm not sure. . .maybe he's just suffering from the stress after the crash or even before that."

"Like in the heat of the battle," Trowa said.

"Look we all took it rough. . .why Wufei?" Heero sighed. He was playing devil's advocate.

"He took it out on the chin. It could have been anyone of us. Wufei is trying to find his own way. He's hurt more than just his body. He was like that when his fiancee Meiran died. He was scared of being a fighter. Now he stands at his own cross roads. He wants to live, but he's afraid to push. Push himself from the pain."

"I know about this kid who was ten time worse than me," Duo recalled the memory from his past.

The three other pilots stared at Duo for a minute. They couldn't believe their ears. Duo was known as the Great Destroy. Was there someone else who was worse than he was living in the colonies."You?" they questioned in unison.

"Yep," Duo said as he rolled his shoulders.

"No," Quatre shook his head.

Trowa said as he tapped his chin with a finger,"There is no one who else. . . a battle angel of death."

Heero grunted,"I don't believe it."

"The nuns had their hands full when he was in the chapel. He loved to break things. I just stole them. . .before I got caught it at."

"What happen to the kid?" Heero asked.

"He became blind from a bad acid burn," Duo remembered. "The nuns found out that he was messing in the school's cem lab. He was making something. . .I don't remember what he was up to. I do remember he bend down to pick up pen and bumped an opened jar of battery acid. It hit his face. It burned a third of his face which included his eyes. The teacher who taught science got fired. The kid lost his eye-sight."

"What happened to him?" Quatre asked. The story was getting good.

"He ended up in the hospital for two weeks. The doctors couldn't operate on his eyes. They were too far gone to do anything. So, he was babied for a while until the nuns got tired of being his slaves. They gently nagged him until he started to do things on his own. It took at least six months. But, it was a true test of pride and patience."

They talked about how to ease Wufei's fears from the heavy fighting and the thoughts of being a looser. He had to get over his pain which was inflicting on his soul.

Wufei dozed lightly when he heard the others coming into the room. He opened his eyes to see Duo and Heero standing on the left side of his bed. The look in their eyes were calming.

Heero said to Duo,"You take his arms and back. . .while I'll take the legs!"

"What are you doing?" Wufei asked.

"A little treatment to get you out of bed!" Duo uttered with a smirk.

Wufei couldn't do anything. He was at a loss for words. Duo told Wufei move up a little. He did what he was told. Heero instructed what Duo took Wufei by his left shoulder with one hand as he rapped his arms around Wufei's shoulders.

Heero went to Wufei's feet. He told Wufei not to move. He took Wufei's feet slowly into his hands. It hurt a little, but Wufei didn't show one ounce of pain on his face. He moved Wufei's legs by taking his time. Wufei felt his legs inching away from the middle of the bed. They got him up in a sitting position at the edge of the bed. Wufei looked at Heero to asked,"What do you did that for?"

"Let's just say. It's therapy. You need to get up and move around. These crutches are going to help you in something called walking," Duo said.

"You require a little push. We know how weak you are, but you have to build up strength," Heero said. "You some help from he rest of us . . .just have do it a little at a time."

Duo and Heero stood on either side of Wufei. He didn't want to disappoint his friends. He still had that biting feeling of pain as he sat on the bed. "No, I'm a failure!" Wufei sighed, bitterly. "I'm not good enough to be pilot of the Shenlong. . .at this or any another time."

Duo gave a miffed look at Wufei. He placed a hand on Wufei's shoulder. He said with a little irritated gladness,"We got you sitting up. That's a great first step on the road to recovery!"

"At least you didn't fight about it!" Heero added. "If you were in a better state of health you would put up a fight. I think you have changed!" There was a look in Heero's eyes that was a promise. The promise was that Wufei had to get better soon.

Wufei turned his face to Heero. He asked,"You think?"

"I don't know for sure. . .but the feeling you are showing should be normal. Fear of the unknown is pretty common with all illnesses!"

Wufei began to think of an idea. It was a new idea for living. He had to stop thinking of begin a failure. He could get an other Gundam to replace Shenlong until he felt like returning.

"But, you are not alone!" said another voice. It was Quatre who spoke. He walked over to the bed. In his hands were the crutches. "We will help get you through this one."

"I'm not sure. If you guys want me to use those things. Then, I can't say no," Wufei sighed.

Quatre stopped in front of Wufei. He handed the crutches to Wufei. Wufei saw the sign of encouragement in Quatre's eyes. He took the crutches from Quatre. Slipping them under his arms, Wufei took another step. He pushed himself up. He lifted himself out of bed in his attempt in standing after the crash. He wobbled a little as he tried to stand straight. Heero now stood behind Wufei. He placed his hands on Wufei's back for support. Duo stood in front of Wufei. He held his hands out as a shield in case Wufei would fall. Duo said with a little encouragement,"Now that was not that bad!"

"No, it hurts. . .I can't back down now," Wufei grunted a little.

"If you can. . .I want you to take a step with the crutches," Heero softly commanded.

"O.K." Wufei said before taking a deep breath.

Wufei placed his weight down on the left crutch and his left foot. He hopped a little as he moved the right crutch forward. His right foot was dragging a little. He wanted to lifted up to keep the pain still. He couldn't move it because of the temporary cast that was still on. He bent his right foot a little. A sharp thread of discomfort ran up his leg. He winced at the feeling. His hands flexed around the handles, Wufei dared to take another step. Duo stood in front of Wufei. He held out his hands as a shield. He said firmly,"Now that was not that bad!"

"I'm going to take another step, even if it's going to kill me!" Wufei said with resolution.

Duo lifted up his head to give a hopeful look at Heero. Heero smiled a little. They were getting through to Wufei. "Well," Heero said. "We have all the time in the world!"

Wufei dragged his left foot and left crutch forward. He tried to move a little with each step. Wufei was now walking with the crutches. He was getting the balance and movement as he hobbled along with the side of the bed. With each step, Wufei was walking. Duo walked backwards keeping pace with Wufei. Heero walked a couple of steps behind Wufei in case he would fall.

"You can do it. You all have to do is try!" Trowa thought to himself. He stood in the opened doorway.

Wufei told Duo and Heero he was tired. They helped him back to the bed. He laid back on the bed with his shoulders aching. He needed to rest after all his exercise. He saw the crutches as no longer an opsticical. Duo and Heero had to commented themselves in the first steps in Wufei's recovery. He was going to be strong again.

The next day, Duo found out by the radio it was getting near Christmas. He didn't want to do anything yet. It would make the others homesick.

Quatre gathered up some wood from the stack near the cabin. A little bird landed on the window sill on the second floor. It burst into song. Quatre peered up the bird. He smiled at the little feather creature. The bird ruffled it's feathers as Quatre took his time. He loved to watch the world as it unfolded in front of him. He grew up in the colonies most of the time. He said," Good morning."

The bird flew down at an ark. It landed on other side of the wood stack. It kept it's distance but, remained at a friendly pace with Quatre. It blinked as it peeped. Quatre said,"Hello. . .little one. How are you?"

"Peep!" the bird said.

Then, Quatre slowly moved to get a loose piece of wood near the stacks. The bird watched Quatre. It shifted to once side to see what the gentle Gundam pilot was doing. He stood up to see the bird. He said softly,"You are like a nice break in the morning."

It understood what Quatre was saying. It ruffled it's feathers in show. It puffed out like a balloon as it's pride was pumped up. Then, it shifted it's head to look at Quatre one last time. Quatre giggled a little. It spread it's wings in flight. Then, it flew away. Quatre took one last log from the stack before going in, himself.

Wufei was going to test himself. He still had a nagging uneasiness to his body. It felt like he was floating in a mix of quick sand and water. He was going to fake the rest of the Gundam pilots out. He wasn't going to show that his body was breaking up to an illness. He sat up in bed. He just ate breakfast. Staring at the crutches, Wufei was going to get some exercise done when Trowa and Duo were done with the breakfast dishes.

Wufei flexed his hands. They still hurt from yesterday. It was a good pain, a pain of triumph. He was getting over his bitter feeling of being a failure. If it was only a step at a time.

A noise of tiny feet scudded across the ceiling. It was the squirrels. They had a reason to live. . .why not Wufei.

Heero stopped into change Wufei bandages. Wufei told Heero, he was going to get up everyday and work on his walking. Until they were rescued from the cold. As Heero was removing the first bandage, the wound burst opened. A little bit of yellowed blood ran down Wufei's arm. He gritted his teeth. Some of the scab stuck to bandages and broke off when Heero removed the second bandage. Heero carefully picked away at the scab to clean it off. He didn't want any infection. Heero said in low tones,"I'm sorry for hurting you!"

"No, it's was bound to happen. This is a test," Wufei said. He bit down on his teeth.

Quickly Heero redressed Wufei's wound. He told Wufei to hold off on his excise for at least a little while. Wufei didn't mind it. He hoped that Trowa wouldn't be mad. Trowa seemed to be a very understanding about Wufei's condition.

Duo entered in the room, carrying a tray. Wufei didn't feel like eating. Heero quickly cleared off the night stand. Wufei asked Heero if there were any rags to cover the handle of the crutches. The handle could be puling in the wounds. They needed something to ease the pressure. Heero agreed with Wufei. Those wounds had to heal. Any disruptions to the healing posses could led into an serious infection.

Heero walked to the doorway. He turned to face Wufei and Duo. He told Duo to watch out for Wufei's arm. The wounds had reopened. Then, he left the room. Duo became a little worried for Wufei. He didn't like hearing the news. Sitting the tray down on the night stand, Duo glanced at Wufei. The pilot of the Shenlong looked exhausted. Wufei asked Duo could take the tray away. The sight of the food nauseated him. He wanted to get up and walk. He thought that if by walking around a little the nausea could stop. Duo said, trying to sound cheerful,"You are the toughest person I know."

"What makes you say that!" Wufei questioned Duo.

"You want to get started on you exercise. Don't you. . .You aren't even showing it."

Wufei shifted in the bed. He stared at Duo. Duo was egging him on. Or was he. Wufei was hoping for way out of his pain. He wasn't going to let the guys down either.

"I need to get back into walking. If I don't. . .you will nag me," Wufei snorted with a bitter-sweet smile. He closed his eyes for a minute. The misery was starting up again. Wufei rolled on to his back. Taking a deep breath, Wufei did a chant to relax his soul from the ache in his leg.

"Oh," Duo said softly, in an all knowing voice.

"Yea, you're bossy attitude would drive anyone crazy!" Wufei snorted, he meant at a verbal blow to the others nagging.

"What?" Duo gripped. He turned to see Wufei's face.

"Yea," Wufei said a little gleam of mischief sparked in his eyes. Then, he began to cough severely. He coughed for a minute. He huffed, trying to catch his breath.

All that Duo could do was watch. He remained calm as he said,"Breath. . . take deep breaths."

Wufei gasped as he shook. For another minute, it seemed hopeless. Then, Wufei caught his breath. Wufei's eyes gaped in horror as he struggled. He gasped a couple of times. He forced a lung full of air as his hands balled up into fists. He breathed deep and hard until the respirations became steady. His chest ached as he let lung fulls of air. Things were returning back to normal.

Duo bent down to gaze at Wufei. He asked in a even tone,"Are you O.K.?"

"I. . .think," Wufei near cried in a weak voice.

Duo turned to grab for a glass of water. He told Wufei to take a sip of water. With shaking hands, Wufei grabbed for the glass. Duo held the glass lightly in order that Wufei didn't drop it. Wufei felt the glass in his clammy hands. He glided it up to his lips. Duo watched as Wufei as placed his mouth between the lip of the glass. Duo slid his other hand under Wufei's chin. Wufei took a small sip as the glass was tipped back. Duo said in a very caring voice,"There. Take your time."

It like Duo's past being relived. He helped the nuns who took care of the sick. It was a punishment that he loved to get. He didn't mind taking care of the sick. The nuns were surprised to see him so loving care for the sick. He could have been a good nurse. Instead, war made Duo like the others into soldiers.

The water felt good as it went down Wufei's throat. Wufei pulled at the glass with both hands. He was gratefully that Duo was there. The glass was slowly drained. Wufei pushed the glass away from his lips. Duo looked at him as he withdrew his hands away from Wufei's chin. He asked out of concern,"How do you feel. . .now?"

"Duo. . .thank you!" Wufei whispered. He tried to piece together his thoughts. He sniffed. He slowly raised a hand to wipe the tears from his eyes. He breathed deep to let his lung relax. He was scared, but not afeard. He had Duo in case he became worst. In fact, Trowa, Heero and

Quatre were there too. He just didn't want to let them down.

He glanced up at Duo. "I'll be fine. I must swallowed something and it went down the wrong pipe!" Wufei whispered again.

"Yea, you scared me," Duo said trying to sound reassuring. "but, you are O.K. now!"

Wufei wanted to laugh. He stopped himself from laughing. He didn't want his ache even more. Duo was happy to see that Wufei was safe.

A voice asked from across the room,"Does Wufei need to wash his face?"

Quatre was standing in the doorway. He heard Wufei coughing as he swept the staircase. After he was done, Quatre went up to see what was going on.

"Maybe. . .I need to take it a little more easier than I thought!" Wufei sighed.

Quatre told Duo and Wufei that he was going to get a wash-cloth for Wufei. Duo was going to stay with Wufei until Quatre came back with the wash-cloth. He felt that Wufei shouldn't be alone if he got worst in an instant.

Heero and Trowa were both in the dinning room. They were trying to contact Sally Po or Lt. Noin by radio. There was nothing by static. They were hoping for something. Heero had a map of the area that he found in a desk in the front room. He wasn't sure if it was the location that the Gundams had crash or not. He wasn't anxious about where they were now. He was worried like the rest for Wufei. They were going around in circles with all the detailed accounts with notes that Quatre, Heero, Trowa and Duo were keeping. They found out where they were they crashed at. Colorado sounded like a nice place for a vacation, but in the middle of the woods with no help was a different story altogether.

Trowa heard a crackle of noise. He became startled at the racket. He wasn't sure what it was. He asked Heero to listen in as he took down in note form what the noise sounded like. Heero agreed that the noise was different. To him it sounded like a sweeper or a hair-dryer sounded over the radio. Trowa wasn't too thrilled by the comment. Heero said,"That's what it sounds to me. It could be a plane."

His eyes sparked a hopeful glance as Heero put a hand on his chin. Trowa closed his eyes for a minute. He hoped that Heero was right. then, they heard an ear silting shirk coming from the radio. Heero clapped his hands over his ears. Trowa's right hand reached over to the switch. He slammed the switch off. There was dead quiet after the noise. Heero uncovered his ears as he winced. Trowa shook his head for a minute. The noise hurt both of them. "What was that?" Trowa asked

"I'll check outside!" Heero said as he stood up from his chair.

"Did you think noise could have been a plane?" Trowa looked at the window.

"I hope!" Heero sounded concerned. He might get his wish to come true. He wanted Wufei to get better care at a hospital. He didn't need Wufei to get any worst.

During the night of the night, Wufei was having trouble sleeping. All the others were dead to the world. He lay on his back staring at the ceiling. It was dark and cold. He began to sweat and felt chilled to the bone. He heard the wind as it sang low through the trees.

A wolf howled in the stillness. Wufei felt alone, yet he was with friends. He desired for the home which he left to join the others in the fight against OZ.

He pulled the blankets over his shoulders. He closed his eyes in order to catch a quick stirring of sleep. He relaxed his body by deep breathing. Slowly, Wufei drifted into a trouble sleep.

Quatre and Heero heard someone crying. Heero sat up sleekly and rubbed his eyes. Quatre rolled to the side where the crying was coming from. Quatre let his hearing reach to the person. It sounded like Wufei. Quatre slowly opened his eyes to confirm his hunch. Wufei was whispering in Chinese that he was blame to keep Meiran's death. He wanted to keep her from all dangers. He wished he could trade places with her. Fate had other ideas.

Heero got out of bed. He walked over to Wufei's bed. Wufei was now shaking. Then, he screamed, breaking the silence of the night.

Duo and Trowa jerked to attention. Duo tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes. He took a deep breath. Trowa placed both hands on his face. He rubbed his face. Then, he stretched.

Heero knelt at Wufei's bedside. In a haze, Wufei opened his eyes. His breathed seemed labored. Tears stood out on his face. "Meiran. . ." he gaped. Then, he screamed knowing how his nightmare ended,"MEIRAN!"

"Wufei. . ." Heero said in a firm and loud voice.

Wufei gasped as he woke to the darkened room. His eyes were wide now. There was a fear that he thought he buried years ago. It struck back at him with force of a sledgehammer. He gasped for breath as his heart pounded in his ears.

"Wufei, you're having a bad dream!" Heero said in a softer voice. He could see Wufei's haunted eyes. The terror of the dream couldn't be shaken off that easily.

"What. . .Where I am?" Wufei shuddered. His mind was blanking out. He wanted to cry, but couldn't. The pain was extremely soul piercing. Heero waited for a minute before he spoke.

"What happened?" Duo yawned. He sat up in bed.

"It was just a bad dream. Wufei calm down!" Heero said gently, trying to ease Wufei's anguish nerves. He placed a hand on Wufei's shoulder. "You are in cabin with us!"

"Yea," the tough pilot of the Shenlong said. His mind had pieced together everything. He was safe in bed, away from the demons who destroyed his future world. "I dreamed it all. The battle. . . Meiran's Gundam blowing up. . .She died before my eyes."

"It is all a dream. . .but, it sounds like you were reliving your past!" Heero said.

Wufei turned his face to see Heero's concerned face. He raised a hand to own his face. It was covered in sweat. He choked back a sob,"I wish I could have saved her life!"

"You tried. That's all you could do. You got back at the attacker who killed Meiran," Trowa said. He felt Wufei's angered fear. Trowa knew how Wufei blamed himself for losing Meiran.

"You want to talk about it?" Duo asked. He wanted Wufei to talk about his fears. If talked about them, then he would feel less threatened.

"Why?" Wufei thought it was a stupid idea that he should talk about his loss. "It was my fault. Why should I share my mistake!"

Quatre sat up in bed. He felt Wufei was covering up his demons of the past. He tried to sound a little comforting as he spoke. His voice was gentle and concerned at the same time. "No. . .war and hate are not your mistakes," he uttered loudly.

"She was at the wrong place at the wrong time. She or you didn't realize until it was too late," Duo said in sympathy.

"But, I loved her. She was going to be my wife," Wufei narrowed his eyes to hide the pain.

"We lost someone or something in our fight against OZ. We started this fight when we brought to our cradles," Duo said.

Quatre slipped out of his bed. "I'll make us some tea and then. . .we talk about we own losses," he gently. He silently padded across the floor. He turned to see Heero talking to Wufei. Quatre knew Wufei was blaming himself for his own losses. Wufei didn't like to lose to injustice. He left the room.

"When I was a kid I lost someone who was close to me," Duo said.

"Who?" Trowa asked. He pulled up the sheets to his chin. He was a little cold.

"The Priest and Sister Helen who the orphanage when I was in. When it was flattened I was hurt beyond words!" Duo rolled to one side of the bed.

"So," Wufei sighed.

"I'm saying that you are not along in this," Duo said.

"I don't remember anything really outside of fighting," Trowa said. He turned to Heero. Heero was now sitting on the floor with his hands on his lap. "Heero, what about you?"

"The same. I wish we had grown up in normal households," Heero said quietly. He remembered something of a normal childhood, but it seemed like dream.

Quatre came back after a few minutes had past with a tray. He went around passing out mugs of hot tea to the others. Wufei was given a different liquid in his mug. He looked at the mug. He asked Quatre after the gentle Gundam pilot was done,"What's this. . .Quatre?"

"Warm milk. I thought you'll be needing it to calm down," Quatre said with a caring look in his eyes.

"I just need to stop. . .maybe for a while. I'll believe that those who are strong. And I have to be one of them," Wufei said. He took a sip of the milk. It felt warm and conforming. He wanted to have that feeling when he lost Meiran.

"There are times that you need to be weak," Trowa said. He placed his tea to cool on the floor.

"That's a laugh," Wufei sighed. "I was brought up to fight."

"Stop cutting yourself down," Duo said. He rolled over to his back. His tea mug rested on his chest. He watched the steam curling up in grey wisps the darkness.

"Let's get off the topic. I want to see if you can walk again. Wufei. . . Ali, Buddha or God is just testing you," Quatre said. "O.K."

"Agreed!" Heero said. He waited for his tea to cool down. He held the mug by the handle.

"You are too much, Duo," Wufei said. He wasn't verbally cutting down the Great Destroyer.

"Yea, that's what Sister Helen told me before sending me off to bed," Duo said with a sigh. He remembered his own childhood. It was rough as he grew up on the streets. He was very lucky to brought to the Church of Saint Maxwell.

"I know. . .you wanna talk about the first time you guys saw a Gundam?" Duo asked. He tried to change the mood of the room. He knew that if he got the others to talk about their earliest memories of seeing Gundams then it would keep Wufei's mind off of his losses. "I was five or six when I saw mine first one."

"Five?" Quatre asked. He was very surprised to hear about Duo's past. Heero knew a little about Duo. It was the same for Trowa and Wufei. Duo could talk to others to gleam off any information necessary for his mission.

"Yea, me and some other kids that I ran around with saw our first one on route."

"Were you surprised to see it?" Wufei was just a little curious.

"No doubt about it," Duo said before taking a sip of tea.

"Were you scared?" Heero snickered little. He was going to pull on Duo's chain a little.

"More like shock. It bigger than the church," Duo sighed.

"So, you weren't scared?" Wufei asked.

"I felt small. It's like when you see an ant crawling on the ground. . .That's how I felt," Duo smiled. He remembered the glimpse of that monument. He wanted to share that feeling for so long that he nearly forgot it. Until now.

"I was about seven when I saw my first Gundam!" Trowa said.

"Where you in school?" Quatre asked.

"No, I was on the playground. It flew past the playground as I played. I had to stopped," Trowa said.

"It flew. . .like Wing Zero?" Heero questioned Trowa. He was surprised to hear about another Gundam that could fly.

"It was very primitive Gundam. . .no real speed or articular movability like Wing!" Trowa said. He was sharing a beautiful fighting memory that he was always went to battle with. The sense of fear and of grace was in this young man soul. To actually own a battle droid was extremely emotional. "There were a couple of others that were trying to shoot the one in the air. . .they looked like older Leos!"

"Were you scared?" Duo asked.

"I don't remember too much. Someone took me to a shelter until the battle was over," Trowa said. He rolled on his left side. The memory was small and faint. He was awestruck to see such a machine at his age.

Quatre said as he sat at the edge of his bed,"I was eight when I saw my first."

"Where were you?" Wufei asked.

"On a shuttle. I was with my father and one of my sisters. The Gundam was a wreck!"

"Was there any fighting going on?" Trowa asked.

"No. It was abandoned by the pilot. It floated as a pile of scrap!" Quatre sighed. He didn't like to see anything wasted. He was going on trip with his father to see what the Winner family could do for the families who lost everything at a resources outpost in the middle of space.

"I can't believe," Duo gaped. He was surprised to hear about Gundam that was left for scrap.

"No way. . ." Heero said. To him that wasn't a sign of a good pilot.

"Who ever the pilot was, they didn't want to take the responsible of being a good pilot," Trowa said.

"Are you saying that we're not?" Wufei asked Trowa. He didn't want to leave Shenlong in case OZ had their spy planes in the area looking for any survivors.

Trowa thought for a minute. Then, he quietly said hoping that Wufei wasn't mad,"We had no choice in the matter. We had to leave our Gundams behind."

"At least we know where they are at," Quatre said. He didn't like leaving his beloved Sandrock in the frozen world.

Heero spoke up in defense of leaving the Gundams behind. "We are very lucky to have this place. We couldn't have risk you or anyone else getting worst."

Wufei felt now lost in his feelings. What the point in this talk about the others past. He still felt alone. Yet there was a feeling of great comfort. He knew that the others were trying to help him in his time of pain.

Quatre finished his story. He said,"I asked my father what was that floating out in space. He told me that it was the greatest thing to help mankind in ending all wars. I was curious how can a machine that big end of the fight. It wasn't until I had Sandrock that I knew what my father was saying."

"I hope he's right," Duo sighed in a hope for peace.

"Yea. . .me too," Quatre agreed.

Trowa asked Heero,"When did you see your first?"

"I was maybe three or four," Heero said, closing his eyes for a minute. He remembered very little of his father or the childhood that was suppose to meant for him. This took another path. "I was playing in the front room of some house. I happened to look out the window to see this huge shadow going over the house."

"Are you sure it was a Gundam?" Duo asked. He knew that Heero wasn't very open about anything, including his past.

"It could have been a plane or blimp!" Quatre said.

"Yea. I ran to the window. I had to press on myself against the glass to get a better look," Heero said. His memory was being relit for a minute. "There it was. . ."

"What did it look like?" Trowa asked. He remembered what kind of Mobile suit his was.

"What was it?" Wufei asked. "A Leo or an Aires?"

"I don't remember what type, but I wasn't scared. I was confused. How can that big thing could even walk. It was out of my reach. . .mentally. I couldn't move away from the window. . .until past the house," Heero said. He was sitting on the floor after he placed his hand on Wufei's shoulder to calm Wufei down.

"Wow!" Quatre said. "Do you remember that?"

"It seemed to be the only thing I can recall. . . Before Doctor J took me in. That and sone little fragments of my father and mother. Those things seemed to be so far back . . .I have a hard time remembering," Heero shook his head.

Wufei was asked when he remembered seeing his first Gundam by Heero. There wasn't any answer. Wufei was quiet. Heero wondered what had happened to Wufei. After Heero finished his tea. He held the mug in his hands, slowly stood up. He peered down at the still figure of Wufei. He realized that Wufei was sound asleep. Wufei was still holding mug in his hands. He said,"I think your warm milk helped Wufei get to sleep, Quatre!"

A little surprised, Quatre said,"Yea, it did?"

"Yea, he's out like a light," Heero said as he reached down to take the mug from Wufei. He gently pulled it away without even waking up the sleeping figure. Heero said to the others,"He needs rest. Let him sleep in."

"It sounded like Wufei was going to die himself. So, no exercise either," Duo observed.

"We have to push. . .but at a stand still pace!" Trowa said. Then, he sat up in bed. "I hope he doesn't have any more night mares!"

"He was scared. Whatever he went through with Meiran was pretty devastating! I hope we helped him over come his fear for one night!" Duo said.

Quatre stood up to stretch his weary bones. Heero walked to the window. Trowa drained his mug. Duo did a short prayer. Quatre quietly walked over to Wufei's bed. He covered Wufei up. Wufei didn't stir. He was too deep of a sleep to fast to even know who was caring for him.

The next morning, Trowa watched as Wufei sat up on the edge of the bed. He asked to the tough pilot of the Shenlong,"What are you doing?"

Wufei's replied was,"I got to work at my walking! If I don't. . .then I'll get sick. I have to work at it. . .in order to walk on two legs instead of crutches."

"Don't push yourself too hard," Trowa pleaded a little. His words were stung with mild harshness.

"Yea, right," Wufei said. He reached over to grab for the crutches.

"Look you had a bad night. We let you sleep in because you needed the rest," Trowa said.

Trowa stopped him from taking the crutches. His right hand flexed around the handles. The two of them glared at each. Trowa narrowed his eyes, trying to appear in control. While Wufei's upper lip moved sightly in a sign of anger.

The three other Gundam pilots were cleaning off the table from their study of the map. They were managing to pin-point the nearest location on the map. They discovered that Boulder wasn't too far if they had a car. They heard Wufei yelling Trowa to leave him alone. The noise came through the ceiling. Duo stared up at the ceiling. Quatre was folding up the map on the table. While Heero was gathering up the note books and compass book from the table. Duo said as gaze moved back to Quatre and Heero,"I wish he would stop!"

"I think he has. If he was so shook up after the crash. . then, he could be less mixed up in his feelings!" Heero said.

Duo agreed,"I hear ya!"

"He must be testing us and how far we can go!" Quatre said.

"Before we go nuts?" Heero said.

"I'm not sure, but we have to keep our cool!" Quatre sighed. He hoped that everything was working out for the best.

"DUO!" Trowa shouted.

"Oh, man! What is it this time?" Duo said. He rolled his eyes. "I can't understand what is in Wufei's mind.

"Go find out. . .if you need help. . .you give a shout," Heero said.

"Yea," Duo started to walk towards the stairs.

Duo stuck his head inside the doorway of the bedroom. He said a little bit tired,"Yea, what's going on?"

Then, he saw Wufei standing practically on his own. Trowa was on Wufei's right side as a prop. Duo entered the room with a inquisitive look on his face. Wufei should be resting. Yes, he did need some exercise. . .he had to slow down in order to get back on his feet. Wufei was trembling a little, trying to keep his balance. He said to Wufei a little dismayed,"What are you. . .walking?"

Wufei had a quick answer already thought out. He knew that one of the others was going to yell at him. He said calmly,"Yea, I want to see if I could walk with only one person. I would like to sit on the chair near the window. I want to see what the world is like outside!"

Duo shot a miffed glance at Trowa. In Trowa's eyes, there was a sign, something was changing. He wasn't sure of what was going to happen to either himself, Wufei or the others. Duo felt a strange aura in Wufei's presents. Was Wufei ready to die? That was a question only Wufei could answer. Duo said sounding like Sister Helen when Duo was a little bad,"You need to relax."

Wufei wasn't going to let the other walk all over him. He said in a childish tone,"Why?"

Trowa turned his face away from they to roll his eyes. He wasn't going to stop Duo from his little talk to Wufei about taking it easy. He smirked a tiny bit before the concerned glance came back.

Duo continued a more gentler pace,"But, if you feel like sitting at the window. You have to take it slowly. Wufei don't jump the gun!"

"Now, I'm confused. You say rest. . .then you say I need to get out of bed and walk a little," Wufei said as his voice expressed in utter chagrin. "I don't when you guys are pull something that going to keep me in bed for the rest of my life."

Duo was now at the end of rope. He wanted to get Quatre. Wufei had to be straightened out. Quatre was great at being a leader of the rest of the Gundams. He was the peacemaker of the group. He used peace and listened to people. Trowa came to the rescue of the two Gundam pilots' nerves. He said,"Let's try out."

Wufei shot a less bitter glance at Trowa. Duo just sighed for a minute, letting his nerves ease into a state peace. Trowa finished his statement,"If Wufei falls. . .you'll be the back up."

"Yea," Duo said. He glimpsed at Wufei for a moment. "Wufei. . .are you listing to us?"

Wufei nodded in a reluctant demeanor.

"Good," Trowa said. "Let's get started."

Duo watched as Wufei used his right crutch as he began to walk. Trowa was in unsync with Wufei as they walked to the chair facing the window. Wufei shuffled to the chair. Trowa helped Wufei as he eased himself into a sitting position on the chair.

Duo said,"I can't believe you." He face was mix of amazement and happiness. He had a grin on his face.

"I have to believe in myself!" Wufei sighed. He slowly, painfully shifted his body to in the chair. He looked out in the wintery landscape. Wufei wanted to prove to himself that he could get up on his own and work on his walking.

Trowa was relieved to see Wufei doing his walking with very little help. He said,"Would you like to here, stay sitting for a while?"

"Yea. . .I want to see what the world looks like. I've been asleep for too long," Wufei sighed. "Meiran wants me to value life!"

"How long are you going to sitting?" Duo asked. He hoped that Wufei was going to sit for a little while. He didn't want Wufei to be exposed to the cold air coming from the tiny cracks in the window frame.

"I'm going to stay here for a little while," Wufei sighed. He folded his arms over his chest.

Trowa said,"Good. We have come to an agreement. I'll tell Heero about your little trip!"

Quatre's voice called from the bottom of the stairs. He asked,"What happened?"

Duo turned his head to shout down the hall,"Nothing. . .Trowa and Wufei are fine!"

"Oh, O.K.!" Quatre called back.

Duo turned to see Wufei now at peace with the world. He thought to himself,"God, let this be a sign of Wufei's recovery!"

Trowa said to Wufei,"You'll need a blanket."

"Why?" Wufei asked. He felt tried, not cold. "I'm fine!"

Duo said,"To cover up your leg. You don't want any arthritis settling into your leg!"

Wufei thought for a minute. Duo knew what he was talking about. Why disagree with a know fact. Wufei said,"Yea. I'm in enough pain. I can't say no. . .If I don't want any more."

Trowa walked over to Wufei's bed. He pulled the blanket off the bed. He went back to Wufei and handed the blanket to the quiet pilot of the Shenlong. Wufei moved the blanket around himself up. He was helped with his legs by Trowa. He winced a little as Trowa tucked the blanket his feet. When Trowa was finished with making sure that Wufei was comfortable, he told Duo that he was going to get an other load of fire wood.

Wufei turned to watch the birds as they flew past the window. Trowa bent down to make sure that Wufei's feet were covered. Then, Trowa stood up. He walked over to the door. Wufei was quietly watching the still world on the outside. Trowa and Duo left the room.

It was getting late. The room were turning into different shades of light blue and pearl grey. Candles were being lit in the rooms. Heero entered in the bedroom see to if Wufei was still sitting at the widow. Wufei was now asleep in the chair. He sat up with his hands in lap. The blanket pulled up a little over his shoulders. Heero walked over to the night stand near Duo's bed. He placed the candle stick on the night stand. The candle glowed softly in the twilight of evening. Wufei didn't stir in his sleep. Heero softly padded over to the chair. He placed a hand on Wufei's shoulder. He gently shook Wufei as he spoke in a low tone,"Time to get up, Wufei."

Wufei breathed in deep. He didn't want to wake up. Heero repeated his statement. Wufei slowly opened his eyes. He was dragging himself from his nap. Rubbing his eyes, Wufei saw Heero in the darkened room. "I. . ." he yawned. His mind was foggy.

"You look like you were at peace. I hated to wake you up," Heero said.

"Was I sleeping?" Wufei said.

"Yea, Trowa said that you were watching the birds as they were flying past here!"

"There were a couple of squirrels were peeking over the side of the roof. They look silly!" Wufei smiled.

"The wild life in these woods are quite fascinating," Heero said as he peered out the window.

"Yea, they are watching us too. To them, we are just as wild."

Wufei pulled out a hand from underneath the blanket. He reach up to his eye. He slowly rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He murmured loudly,"I must of fallen asleep when I was bird watching."

"Yea," Heero said. "At times, life can makes us stand still."

Wufei asked Heero what time it was. Heero told him that it was time to eat some supper. Wufei didn't feel like eating. The sickness was starting to creep inside. He didn't experience any feeling of being cold or achy. He was tried. He chalked it up to lack of sleep from the previous night. On the other hand, he didn't want the other to discover that he was getting sick.

The night was drawing to a close. Quatre was reading a book by candle light. Duo was listening to the radio. Trowa was helping Heero with mapping out the nearest local of a road or interstate. Wufei was in bed, resting. The night was peaceful until a noise made Duo nearly shout. Duo, Trowa and Heero were in the same room. Duo was sitting at the table with the radio turned down low enough to hear, but not loud to disturb Heero and Trowa at their work. Heero and Trowa were at the other end of the table with the map. Four candles dimly lit the area that they were studying the map with. Heero looked up at Duo. He asked,"What is it?"

"I heard someone asking for us!" Duo said. He jumped bolt up right from his chair. His left hand pointed to the radio.

"Are you sure?" Trowa questioned Duo. He thought that Duo was truly mistaken by some ad on the radio.

"Yea, the regural radio is switch off. I've got it on receiver and transmitter."

"Maybe they did find us, after all," Heero said quietly.

"Good," Trowa said. "We can leave here without OZ finding out where we are!"

"That's a concern for me too. But, the biggest is getting Wufei to a hospital. . .so, he can recover with better care!"

Quatre came into the room. He held the book he was reading in his hands. A perturb look was on his face. He didn't like to be disturbed when he was reading by any loud noises. He said a little harshly,"Would you guys keep it down. Wufei was trying to get some sleep!"

"Did you check up on him?" Heero said with concern.

"No," Quatre shook his head. "In a few minutes."

"Well, then. . .you can tell him that someone is trying to get a hold of us," Duo uttered with a big grin on his face.

"What?" Quatre questioned Duo. His eyes grew wide.

"We can't tell yet. . . but, we can find out soon," Trowa said.

"Right!" Quatre sighed. He didn't want to get his hopes up too high.

"Let me check the radio," Heero said as he walked over where Duo was. "I'll take over. You get some rest."

"Why?" Duo pouted. He folded his arms over his chest in mild protest. "I was just doing fine!"

"You were working on that radio since four this afternoon! Take a break!" Heero snapped softly. He didn't want any ranker in the group.

Quatre said gently,"Yes, you were. Duo. . .I bet your ears can stand to hear nothing."

Duo was working very hard at the mission. Just as hard as the others. They were wearing down from the stress. They needed to take a break. He didn't want to leave, but Heero was going to push into get some sleep, even he had to knock Duo out. Duo huffed his protest at Heero. Then, he turned on his heels to march out of the room. He stopped at the doorway. His right hand went up to the doorjamb. He said,"Alright. Heero. Don't except to take all of the glory when we get saved. Remember this is team effort!"

Heero smirked a little. He said quietly,"Yea. Don't worry. I wouldn't!"

The morning was full of answered to prayers and hopes that were long ago forgotten. Wufei was walking down the hall up stairs. Quatre was helping him with the walking. Duo was cleaning the fire place. He didn't like to do it. The ashes made him sneeze. Trowa was outside chopping fire wood for the day's warmth and cooking. Heero was logging in the notebook of the early morning events.

Wufei was getting stronger as he walked. He believed the high fever and queasy feeling which he experienced from the past two days was just some bug that was floating around. He felt better this day than any other day since the crash. He was starting to feel the pain of his broken leg going away. It still hurt, but this was different kind of pain. This pain was more of a burning. Quatre reasoned the burning could be the bones in Wufei's leg were healing. Wufei hoped that Quatre was right.

Trowa was done with the wood. He carried a load inside. Duo had all ashes in a metal bucket. Trowa walked over to the fire place. Duo looked up at Trowa. He stood up and walked over to the pilot of Heavyarms. Duo pulled a couple of logs from the top of the pile. Trowa thanked him for the help. Duo and Trowa stood in front of the fire place. Duo bent down to range a small pile of logs to start the fire with. Trowa watched as Duo straightened out the fire grate. Duo asked,"Do you see anything yet?"

Trowa sighed,"No. I wish they come. I bet Kathy is worried sick about me."

"Yea," Duo sighed. He placed a few twigs in the fire place as kindling. "I swear I heard a person talk to me last night."

"Oh, I believe you. In fact, Heero sent out a SOS sign out and they did respond. Whoever they were."

"Yea," Duo's eyes lit up with hope.

Trowa unbuttoned his jacket. He watched as Duo stood up. Duo swiped his hands clean with a dust rag. Duo walked to the table near the sofa. He quietly placed the rag on the table. Trowa took off the gloves he used when he chopped the wood. Duo said before walking back to the fireplace,"I'm going to start the fire soon!"

"Do you know where the flint is?" Trowa asked.

"Yea, Quatre told me. It's above the fireplace in a tin box!" Duo began to fish around for the flint box.

Trowa carefully folded the coat over his arm. He told Duo to be careful of using the flint. There was only so much kindling left. He didn't want to go back out just to find a bunch of weeds during the dead of winter. Duo found the tin box on the mantle. He picked it up from the mantle.

It was not very big. Duo careful cradled it the box in his right hand. He picked out the flint from the box. He replaced the box on the mantle. He held the flint in his right hand as thorough it was last flint on the planet.

Trowa left the room. He was going to put his coat on his bed. He walked up the stairs. He saw Quatre and Wufei standing in the hallway. There was a new strength in Wufei. He was actually standing tall with use of only one crutch. Quatre was used as a back up. Trowa hoped Quatre wasn't pushing Wufei into any extra walking. Trowa questioned the two as they made towards the quiet pilot of Heavyarms,"Out for a walk?"

"Yea," Quatre said quietly.

"I wanted to see what the rest of the cabin looked like. I don't remember much," Wufei said.

"Like the hall?" Trowa asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I was sleeping. Heero said I lost a lot of blood from the crash. These past few days of been resting. I'm still weak. I need to go back when I through and a take a nap!"

"I remembered Heero hardly resting after Wing blew up," Trowa sighed. He recalled the events after the attack on a plant that made mobile Leo suits. He and Cathy spent a month looking after a comatose Heero. When Heero finally came out of his state, he went searching for Noventa family to either ask for givenness or punishment. "Heero was in a coma like state for at least a month. When he woke up, he spent a little time until he thought of contacting Noventa's family."

"Heero was and is a solider who thinks he's finally broken through to the other side," Quatre said sadly.

"Yet, something keeps him here. That's way he can't die yet!" Wufei added his remark to the many lives that Heero had gone through in his short life span.

Trowa said as he stood on the landing,"Heero has a cat life."

Quatre asked in surprise,"You mean. . .he has many lives?"

"Yea, when he runs out will be he last. There won't be any turning back for him!"

Wufei was hoping to walk down the stairs. He sighed with a smile,"I wonder."

Quatre and Trowa exchanged looks at one another. Trowa asked,"What?"

They both wanted to know what was on Wufei's mind.

"I wonder if I could take the stairs."

"No way!" Quatre's answer was fast.

"You need at least three people helping you," Trowa added. He knew like did Quatre that if Wufei was going to take the stairs, he needed at least three people to help him.

Quatre and Trowa exchange looks at each others.

"Why?"

"I am scared that if you would walk down the stairs. I will fall down the stairs," Trowa sighed. He didn't want Wufei to injure himself even more.

"You need to built strength up any ways. We can do it later in the day. I'll ask Duo or Heero if they can help!" Quatre said. He promised Wufei to help him in every way in can. Quatre convinced Wufei to go back to bed and rest up. Wufei turned with a little help from the gentle Gundam pilot. Trowa watched as Wufei hobbled along at a lazy pace back to the bedroom.

Duo was happy with the chance of going home. He was going to spend Christmas with the people who needed help the most. He worked with homeless shelter in the morning. Then, after the morning was up, Duo would go to the children aide program to help pass out books, clothes and toys to the kids who wouldn't have a happy Christmas. Then, before dinner with Hilde he would go to a nursing home to visit two elderly sisters who knew him when he lived at St. Maxwell's.

He wanted nothing else in the world. He was hoped that they would find him and others soon. Then, he thought of Wufei. Wufei wasn't a Christian. He was a Buddhist. He never spent Christmas like Duo did. He always meditate and reflect of the events of the past year. He wanted to learn from his mistakes. He would go to Meiran's grave. He would talk to her for a couple of minutes. He tried not to get caught up his memories of her. She didn't want a weak boy for a husband. Then, he would go to the temple he was raised in for a simple dinner and evening prayer. He would stay with Shenlong the rest of the night. He walked to his Gundam from the temple which took an hour for him. He was quiet and thoughtful as he would walk down the narrow path leading up to his dangerous battle-droid.

Heero would spend Christmas missing. None of the others wouldn't know where to find him. He would spend his time in front of the ocean. He would go there just to get away from the noise and confusion of war. He always camped out on some remote island with no other communication expect Doctor J, when the good scientist needed him to do a special job. He would hide Wing in a cave large enough for it. The quiet would refresh his battle worn soul. He fished off the coast for his dinner. Heero loved to swim in the shallow reef off the coast near the island.

Quatre was Muslin. He would spend time with his sisters. He had twenty nine of them. He would go the mosaic to pray in secret for the end of the war between OZ and the earth. He didn't want to be too troubled in his soul. He was still fighting even his Sandrock was in storage. He visit his parents grave. He would talk to his father. Tell him, everything that was happening in his life. He found it difficult to talk to his mother who died shortly giving birth to Quatre. He never knew his mother like he did with his father. He would spend a little time with the gardens that his mother had started years before he was born. He would bring his violin to the gardens to play. He was left alone in the sweet world of roses and lilies.

Trowa didn't belong to any church. Like Heero, Trowa was a child of the world. He never saw anything as one. He would feel a little out of place in church. He would spend Christmas with the cirrus. He joined up with the cirrus shortly after Operation M. He would drift in and out when the consequences of war with the Gundams would occur. He watch a little t.v. or read a book. He would preform a little slight of hand for the others. They had money, but never enough time to really shop anything. He would spend time with the animals, trying to make them feel less lonely.

Late in the afternoon, Trowa and Heero were sitting at the front room waiting to hear the news on the radio. Heero saw a surprisingly event happen to Wufei . He knew Wufei had been walking up and down the hall early in the morning. He was impressed with the work by the others of getting Wufei out his depression. Heero sat in front of the fire. With the poker, he stirred up the heated wood in order to make the fire last a little longer. He knew that they had enough fire wood. Heero wanted to leave no traces behind, if OZ was watching out for all five Gundams.

Trowa sat on the sofa. He glanced over the previous night notes. He hoped that Sally Po and Lt. Noin were looking for them night and day. He didn't want OZ or the White Fang to find them first. They have been too much. Somehow, Trowa didn't want to be separated from his newly formed family. He considered the other Gundam pilots as his brothers. He treated Cathy as a big sister. Then, he looked upon the Ring Master as a father figure.

Heero placed the poker back in the holder. He said,"There were a few more transmissions!"

Trowa looked up from the notebook that he was holding. He said,"They must be trying to pin point where we are!"

"If it's Sally. . .then she would be with Noin in the recuse," Heero said. He wiped his left cheek with a hand. He was getting over heated from fire. He turned to see Trowa reading. An anxious look crossed his face. "If it's Oz?"

"I hope it's not. That's the thing we need!" Trowa said as he snapped the note book shut.

Heero stood up. He brushed the ashes which fell from the fire away from his jeans. He said sternly,"We have to stick together. . .no matter what!"

He walked over to a window. He peered out the window. He said loud enough so Trowa could hear,"We can't leave the future in the wrong hands."

He didn't want Wufei in his weakened condition to fall prey at the hands of OZ or the White Fang.

"Are you ready?" Trowa asked.

"Yea," Wufei said as he gripped the handles of the crutches.

Quatre and Duo were standing at the top of the stairs. Heero stood behind Wufei as back up in case Wufei should fall. Trowa faced Wufei in case he would collapse in front Trowa. Wufei moved the right crutch forward. He dragged his foot froward. A sharp needle of pain smacked him. He gritted his teeth as his left foot and crutch inched seconds later.

What would take any normal person a couple of minutes to walk down the hall to the stairs, took Wufei about six minutes. Trowa slowly paced himself with each step. Heero did the same with the pace of Wufei's slow walk down the hall.

The small group stood at the stair case. Trowa slipped behind him for a second. Trowa stood with Heero behind Wufei. Duo and Quatre stood at the first step down. They hoped that Wufei wouldn't fall. Wufei was just tired, but pleased with his compliment. Heero asked,"Now for another wall to climb. Would you like to rest for a minute?"

"Yea," Wufei breathed. He glanced at the floor. His hands gripped the crutches. "I'm happy to feel the ground under my feet!"

Quatre and Duo were hoping for any news about the attempt of searching for them by Sally Po or Lt. Noin. They wanted to get Wufei out of the cabin into a hospital for better treatments. Wufei wanted for the others to rest. They have do so much for him, he wanted only to see them rested up. He didn't want them dead on their feet in case Oz or the White Fang should attack the earth or a colony. Duo asked Heero,"What on the was the news?"

Heero found the words about the search difficult to say. He uttered in a bitter way,"Nothing about us yet!"

"That's good in one way!" Duo said. He hated the times that he and others were captured by Oz. They were either beaten or left to be shot at by the goons of OZ. He didn't desired anything to do with OZ or Zecks Merquise.

Wufei added mournfully,"And in another it isn't!"

Wufei was homesick. He desired to see his Shenlong for if only one last time.

"We are sitting ducks. . .if we stay here!" Quatre uttered. He was terrified of what could happen. He didn't want to become pawns to Lady Une's will. He wanted to see Sandrock and the Maganac group who fought along side him.

Heero said in firm resolution,"We can't afford any more problems. We have to stay here. OZ will not get us at the end!"

Quatre gasped. Wufei was quiet. Duo muttered,"I will have a difficult time understand you."

"Can you, Heero see into the future!" Trowa asked the Good Soldier of Gundam Wing.

"I'm not sure," Heero said. "We can't see into the future that easily!"

Duo thought to himself,"I hope for your sake, you are right, Heero!"

Quatre and Duo stepped down the stairs. It was a sign for Wufei to start on the second phase of exercise. Wufei move his right crutch. Then, he placed his foot down on the step. He felt a twinge. He didn't want to stop. Then, she slowly placed the left crutch down on the step. Finally, he placed his left foot on the step. Trowa and Heero watched for any signs of Wufei if he should fall. Duo watched each step. Quatre did the same. They encouraged him as he walked down the stairs. They took their time. Finally Wufei with the aid of the others made it down the sitars.

Duo went over to the table near the stairs case. There was a candle stick. He groped around for a match. He told the others he was getting a candle. It was growing dark. Duo didn't desire for Wufei to stumble around in the dark after his long walk down the stairs.

After Duo lit the candle. Wufei walked over to the table. Dinner wasn't made up yet. They waited for Wufei to come down the stairs. This was special time for him. Duo said,"Would you like to rest in the living room?"

"Yea," Wufei asked. "Is there a sofa?"

Duo, Trowa and Wufei walked thought the dinning room. Wufei and Trowa waited until Duo lit the candles on the table and on the fire place mantle. The candles gave a faint glow. Wufei was surprised to see how plain the cabin was. Duo stood near the sofa. Trowa helped Wufei to the sofa. Heero and Quatre entered the room. They let their eyes get use to the dark before the walk to the living room.

The room was warm. A fire was going in the fire place. The sofa was made up for Wufei, with extra pillows at the left end of the sofa. They were going to make him as comfortable as possible. Wufei and Trowa waited until Duo found a candle stick. He said,"Well, what do you think?"

"This is cabin. . .nothing exciting," Wufei said in nonchalant tone. "But, yet. . .I like it."

"All it counts now is that we all together and OZ hasn't found us yet!" Quatre said. He walked over to the sofa. He and Trowa helped Wufei onto the sofa. Trowa took Wufei's back and shoulders. While Quatre took Wufei's feet and legs. They picked up him and lowered onto the sofa. He didn't complain as Quatre moved the pillows under his legs. He asked Wufei,"How does your leg feel?"

"The pain is still there. I'm dealing with it. I wish you guys didn't have to go all this trouble for me!" Wufei said.

"Not at all," Trowa said. He waited until the pillows were in their positions until getting a blanket to cover up Wufei from back of the sofa.

"How many times are we going to say that you are not a burden for us," Duo said as he placed the candle stick on the mantle.

"Until I shoot you," Heero darkly joked. He loved to get Duo's irritation level up.

"Hey. . .No comment from the peanut gallery!" Duo huffed. He knew instantly that Heero was getting under his skin.

Quatre and Trowa smiled. Wufei let out a sign. They discerned every little nuance of Duo and Heero's working relationship. They can work good as a team. At times, they personal bouts with each other keep an equal balance between the two.

Wufei closed his eyes. Somehow is body was tried. He was growing weaker. The illness that he tried to shove aside was starting to pose a problem. Heero and Duo walked over to the sofa. The peered down as though they were expecting Wufei to fall asleep any ways.

The morning was going to turn into a tragic event. It started off a little irritating. Quatre and Duo were talking about how the Christians and the Muslims should treat one another. Trowa was checking on the weather. He hoped that all the Gundams were not in dire need of repair because of the snow and the cold. Heero was trying to contact someone, anyone on the radio. Quatre and Duo were outside getting some wood for the fireplace. They were running low inside. They started to talk about the different rifts in world that were just based on religion. Duo didn't like it when families were broken up because of war. Quatre agreed on that view point. Quatre said,"I don't like when Christians were fighting against Muslims in the Middle East!"

"That was war which was going on for centuries! Duo said. He was right in pointing out that fact. "People were fighting during the dark ages, because of their faith!"

"I know. . ." Quatre picked up the last log for his pile.

Duo shifted the weight in his arms for the pile of wood. The wood was starting to get heavy. "I just don't like the fighting. It seemed. . ." Duo's voice seemed to trail off.

Quatre had his own ideas. He said,"I know. It just seemed foolish for people to fight over God!"

"Something think that if you are better. . .then your God. . .your faith should be better then the next person."

Trowa heard the two talking. He opened the door to let them in. Quatre stamped the snow off his boots. Quatre said as he entered,"I don't understand you!"

Duo stopped in the doorway. He stamped the snow off his boots as he said,"I have been there!"

Upstairs, Wufei sat up in bed. He felt wore out. A cold chill ran past him. He pulled up the blanket up around his shoulders. Then, he started to cough. His chest felt tight. His coughing began to follow into sharp gasping.

There was a pain which pierced the middle of Wufei's chest. It felt like chest ripping apart. He placed a hand in the middle. He started to hack up something. He thought he saw a figure standing at the foot of the bed. Blinking away the newly formed tears, Wufei thought,"Is it you, Meiran?"

He gasped loudly. He needed to force down some air. Then, he coughed up. A stinging taste of copper clung to his mouth. His mouth began to water. His nose flared to drive the taste out. He raised a hand to his mouth. Then, he spat out a glob of blood and phlegm. It lay on his hand. He swallowed weakly.

"Wufei. . .come to me!" said a voice.

Wufei's mind was hazy. Was he dreaming? Was Meiran standing at the foot of the bed? He wanted to scream. All the pain he felt before of losing her came back. He tried to do it. All that came out was a whisper. He sighed noiselessly,"Meiran!"

"I'll come to you in a minute," the figure said.

Wufei blinked as his vision came into view. It was really Meiran dressed in her bridal robe and head dress. He shook his head slowly. The vision wouldn't go away. She looked like an angel. He whispered,"Meiran?"

"I'll come to you in a minute," Meiran insisted. "You are very weak. You have done a great battle. Rest."

Wufei blinked as his vision became clearer. He said as he began to huff,"Let me!"

He pulled back the covers. He tired to push his legs from the bed. The pain shot throughout his weakened body. He clutched at his chest. His heart thudded against his chest. He wasn't getting enough oxygen. He needed to slow down. His mind was railing against the will of his body.

Wufei stood up. His felt like his brain were poured out of his skull. He winced from the agony. He started to walk with no aid. He vision blurred. His whole body had no feeling. His gasping became loud cries of pain. His eyes were full of tears. A hazy, drugged feeling over powered Wufei. He thought he was tough. He was terrible wrong.

Down stairs, the rest of Gundam pilots were trying keep peace. Duo and Quatre were still disagreeing over their religion. Trowa and Heero were playing refs. "Why is it normal for people to hate. Ali taught us to love," Quatre said.

"Human nature!" Duo huffed. He brought his down both of his hand in a clapping movement in front of his chest.

"That's funny. . .coming from you!" Trowa said.

Then, they heard a loud thud. It sounded like it came from the upstairs. They went up to investigate. Heero and Trowa were the first ones to see Wufei laying on his belly, past out. "DUO! QUATRE. . .COME HERE QUICK!" Heero shouted. Trowa and Heero entered the room.

Duo and Quatre came into the room. Duo said before he saw Wufei,"What's wrong?"

"I think Wufei was trying to get up and walk. He must of taken a fall," Trowa said.

Heero and Trowa got Wufei on his back. Wufei was starting to wake up. He swam in high fever. He didn't know where he was. Wufei thought that he was going bed for a punishment. He cried out,"No, no. . .I didn't break the window. I'm telling the truth!"

Heero and Trowa were beside themselves. They were afraid that he would lash out as they began to pick him up. He was having a flash back to his childhood. He was with a group of kids who were throwing rocks. One rock happen to smash through a window of a shop. He was caught by the shop keeper. The others ran away. He was left alone to face the shop keeper and his patients. After good hour of yelling from his father, Wufei was taken to his house. He was told to go up stairs and to bed. Wufei was trying to prove his innocence. There was no avail to his pleas. He was going to be whipped with a cane later on.

Heero heard the pleas. He said firmly,"Stop it. . .Wufei."

Wufei began to lash out with his fists. Heero seized Wufei's fists. Wufei screamed,"No, papa!"

Trowa who was carrying Wufei's legs asked Duo,"Duo! Help Heero hold Wufei steady. Wufei is moving around too much. He might refractor his leg if we can't keep him still!"

"He can't keep still. It sounds like he's having a flash back too," Quatre said.

Duo walked over to where Heero and Trowa were picking Wufei. Duo bent down as Heero and Trowa were squatting over Wufei. He slid his hands under Wufei's back. Duo felt his hands getting wet. Wufei's fever was rising. He said to Heero,"Wufei has got a fever."

Heero who was grabbing up Wufei's head, neck and shoulders asked,"He must be sweating like crazy."

"Papa!" Wufei said.

"No! It's me. . .Heero!" Heero sounding reassuring.

"Heero?" Wufei questioned him.

"Yea, opened your eyes. You'll see!" Heero gently commanded.

Wufei did open his eyes. His vision was blurry. Tears were rolling down his cheeks. He gasped quietly,"Heero?"

"Yes, we are going to pick you up," Heero said gently.

"Who?" Wufei mouthed the word.

"Trowa, Duo and Quatre are here too," Heero said gently.

"O.K." Wufei said. He closed his eyes.

"There is a chance that he was exposed to a bug and got worst," Trowa said.

"Let put him to bed," Heero said.

They put Wufei to bed. He started to feel worst. Heero got a thermometer to take Wufei's temperature. Heero told Wufei that he was going to take his temperature. Wufei asked,"Why?"

"You feel hot!" Heero said as he shook the thermometer down.

Wufei opened his mouth to let the thermometer go in. He had to hold down his coughing. Wufei closed his mouth. After a few minutes, Heero removed the thermometer from Wufei's mouth. Heero looked at it. "A high one too," he said

"What it is?" Trowa asked. His eyes were full of questions.

"Ninety-nine! We have no medicine to break the fever."

"There got to be another way."

Quatre said after a minute of thinking,"The only thing I can think of is a series of cold compresses."

"Yea, that's all we have," Duo said.

"Meiran?" Wufei cried softly. The others thought Wufei was having another flash back. He closed his eyes. He wanted to know where Meiran was.

The night wore on. Duo, Trowa and Heero were in the living room. They wanted to be close by if Quatre needed help. Quatre was staying with Wufei. Quatre sat at Wufei's bedside. Wufei was calm as he slept. The pain which Wufei had experienced was gone. Trowa found some bottles of over the counter pain-killers. He crushed up a pill and placed in Wufei's tea. Wufei wasn't in any condition to be swallowing whole pills. Trowa told Wufei to drink the tea. It would relax him.

Quatre began to think of home. His sisters would be very worried if Sally Po or Lt. Noin didn't find him or the others soon. He was the baby in the family. He felt different as a Gundam pilot. He was a leader. His quiet leadership was admired by the others.

Trowa and Heero walked into the room. The room was lit by the soft glow of candles. Trowa walked over to the window. He glanced out the window. He was on his guard for OZ. Heero walked over to Wufei's bed. He carried a bowl of ice water with a wash cloth resting on his wrist. Quatre looked up at Heero. Heero asked,"Any changes?"

Quatre shook his head. There were no changes. The fever was still high. "He has been quiet all night long."

"Those pain-killers might have a sedative to make a person sleep," Heero said as he walked over to the table. He stood at the side. He dunk the cloth in the bowl. He let it get wet for a couple of minutes.

Quatre said,"Where is Duo?"

Trowa said,"He's down stairs. He trying to contact an emergency service."

"Wufei needs help. So, we are taking turns with the care and the contacting!" Heero said as he pulled out the cloth from the bowl. It was rung out until it was just damp.

Quatre stood up from the chair. He walked away from the bed. Heero walked over to the chair. He sat down on the chair. He had the cloth folded into a square. He shifted in the chair. Bending over Wufei, Heero began to wash Wufei's face. His touch was still that of butterfly's wings. "Wufei," Heero uttered quietly. "It's me. . .Heero. I'm washing your face."

"Can he hear you?" Quatre asked. He had never seen anyone talk to a person who was sleeping.

"Yea. . .I have heard of people who were in a coma and they swear they heard voices when they were in that state."

Wufei didn't stir. His breathing was steady.

Duo was getting nowhere. He tried every channel that he could think of. At the last one, Duo thought he heard something. It sounded like an old truck driver yakking to his friends. He thought to himself,"I hope this works."

The old truck driver said,"Now. . .Georgie, you can't say to your old lady that you are going out to get a quart of milk that you are getting is a pack of smokes."

There was a roar of laughter.

"Hello," Duo said weakly.

"What?" the old man asked.

"Hello. Is there anyone out there?" Duo said. He hoped that the old was listening.

"Yea, kid. Hello yourself!" the old man was quick with his reply. "What's ya handle?"

"Uh?" Duo said. He tried to think of a name. "Padre."

"Yea. . .for such a yong kid you got a really old name!" the old man joked.

"Right," Duo trying sound inconspicious as he could. "Hey are you close to a town?"

"Yea. . ." another voice said. "Why do you ask?"

"There are four other guys besides myself in this cabin. One of us is sick!" Duo said.

"With what?" the old man asked.

"We don't know. We need to get this guy to a hospital. He's burning up with a high fever!" Duo said.

"Where are you at?" an other voice asked. It sounded female. Could it be Sally Po or Lt. Noin still looking for them.

"I'm not sure. . .where we are exactly at this time. We got lost in the storm. We ended up here." Duo uttered. He sounded like he was actually playing for aide. He was telling the truth about stranded in a empty cabin.

"Hmm. . ." the old man hummed.

"Listen, you keep in talking and we can find you by tracing the signal," interrupted another voice.

"Sure. I'll tell you what type of cabin it is!" Duo sighed lightly. He hope who was ever out there could find them in time. Duo didn't want Wufei leaving this world just yet. He didn't want to relive the same events that he faced with Solo.

The second day past quietly. No real changes in Wufei's condition. He couldn't eat. The fever halted Wufei from eating everything solid. He started to gag on merest spoonfuls of watery oatmeal or creamed soup. The other Gundam pilots were ready for the challenge. They tried giving him weakened broth and tea which were heavily spiked with vitamins. He needed to keep fluid in his body or he could suffer dehydration.

Wufei woke up with no memories of being a Gundam pilot. He had only the memories of being of a child in China. He asked if he was at school or at home. Wufei asked softly as he stared up at the ceiling,"Where we are going?"

Trowa who now sat by Wufei's bedside said,"Nowhere. You are at rest in your bed. You had a busy day at school."

"Oh," Wufei said. "Is it dark yet?"

"Yes," Trowa lied again. "You must keep still. You are very weak."

"Must rest," Wufei yawned. He turned to look at Trowa. Trowa gazed down at Wufei for a minute. Then, Wufei closed his eyes. Wufei murmured,"Sleep!"

"Yes," Trowa agreed. Then, he thought to himself,"Wufei. . .you must fight from within. You are the dragon. We need your strength to pilot Shenlong!"

It was the only way to keep Wufei calm. Wufei drifted back to his fevered sleep.

Heero was outside. He needed to be alone. The anger that he was feeling about everything that happened to himself and the others was growing inside his soul. He chopped fire wood to blow off some steam. He wanted answers to the questions of the searching to end here and now.

Quatre was talking to a couple pf people who trying to pin point where the Gundam pilots were at. Quatre took the handle of Golden star as spoke to the others on the radio.

A young man spoke in a lazy surfer way,"Yea."

There was back ground on coming from his end of the radio. it sounded like music.

Quatre was puzzled to what kind of music it was. He asked,"What are you listening to?"

The man snorted as he spoke,"The Doors! Man. Cool uh?"

Quatre felt a little out of place as he said,"Yea. It's nice!"

Quatre was on the other side of the musical scale. He loved classical music and other nothing else.

An older woman said,"I like big band and jazz myself."

"I just like classical," Quatre said quietly.

Then, the two signals that were being board-cast were now being jammed. Quatre's senses sharped to attention. Quatre found in a second what they were. They were communication from ground troops to air patrols. He hoped it wasn't OZ in their search for the Gundams. That was the last thing that he wanted to tell the others, when Wufei was critically ill. He listened to the communication between the two troops.

Air: The Leos are moving near the marked area.

Ground: Did you find any traces of a Mobile Suit?

Air: No. . .not yet. The snow is too thick for our scanners.

Ground: Colonel Zecks is not going to be please by the news.

Air: Wait. . .I'm picking up something on radar.

Quatre's blood froze. Did a Leo or an Aeries found their Gundams. Quatre had to wait with nervous tension.

Air: Those pilots had to set up a camp somewhere around here.

Ground: Is that all?

Air: I'm not sure.

Ground: I found evidence of a site. There were some traces of a camp, but we can't tell from here how long ago it's been up.

Quatre shuddered at the mere fact of their discovery by OZ. How many times had Heero told them to be careful, leave no traces at the site. How far short did they came to full failure. He cried out at Duo who was resting on the sofa,"Duo! Wake up. . ."

It took Duo a couple of minutes to wake up. He sat up on the sofa. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. He stayed up half the night, watching over Wufei. "Wha. . .Quatre?" Duo said.

"They found us," Quatre uttered in a nervous tone.

"Who found us?" Duo turned to face Quatre.

"OZ!" a slightly panic look struck Quatre.

There was a loud slam came from the front of the cabin. It was Heero. He ran back to the cabin after chopping up some more fire wood. He quickly ran to the front room as he carried the fire wood. He glared at Quatre and Duo at the same time. "Did you hear anything about OZ?" he asked Quatre.

"Yea," Quatre turned back to the radio. He flipped off the switch. If he would cut off radio just for a few minutes. Then, OZ wouldn't discover where they were at now.

"What did you just hear?" Heero said. He bent down quickly to arrange the pile of wood.

"I heard everything. They have found our old camp site!" Quatre said.

"Did they find our Gundams?" Duo asked out of regard for their own lives.

"No. . ." Quatre said. He was telling the truth.

Heero turned to glance at now worried Quatre and Duo. Their lives were so quiet. They only hope was to get Wufei to a hospital. They wanted him to live. They had been through too much as pilots and as friends.

Then, Trowa's voice could be heard through the ceiling. He shouted,"QUATRE! GET A HOLD OF HEERO. . WUFEI IS COUGHING UP BLOOD!"

Things were going from worst to the extremes. They didn't want to believe that Wufei was dying. He was far too strong of a person to die. They needed to see if this was true. Duo raised both hands in a praying form. He whispered,"No."

Quatre was half tempted to switch the radio back on. He said in a half nervous sob,"There got to be a hospital near by."

Heero blinked his eyes for a second. He could feel Wufei's pain in his own body. He uttered,"Yea, it's out of our hands!"

Trowa knelt at Wufei's bedside. Trowa's left hand was used to prop up Wufei's back. While the Trowa's right was pressed Wufei's chest. Trowa smelt the odor of Wufei's bloody saliva. Trowa wanted to gag himself. The smell was the odor of an illness which was taking up a strong hold on Wufei's body.

Wufei was gagging, trying get air into his lungs. Then, he coughed up a baby's fist sized ball of blood. Trowa watched as Wufei blindly cleaned off his lips with his right hand. He felt the thin body shudder from the drain from the now ill pilot of the Shenlong. Wufei sniffed almost like a child who was scared,"Ow. . .pain."

Trowa sounded gentle and comforting as he spoke,"I know. . .Now lay back down."

His left hand went up to wipe up the sweat from Wufei's forehead. Then, he said to Wufei,"You need to sleep!"

Wufei laid back down on the bed. He could feel Trowa's hands guiding him as he fell backwards. Wufei closed his eyes. Duo, Heero and Quatre entered the room. Heero walked up to Wufei's bed. He saw Trowa removing his hands from Wufei's body. "What happened?" he asked Trowa.

Trowa started to remove the first blanket from the bed. He turned his head slightly to speak,"He was just resting. I was reading, passing the time. When I heard Wufei's breathing change. It sounded hoarse."

"He coughed up blood, then?" Heero asked.

"No," Trowa had folded up the blanket. He stood up with the blanket at arms length. He walked over to the bathroom. He stuck the blanket in the tub. He hoped to wash the stain on the blanket with some rubbing alcohol. He took a small tube of hand cleaner from the sink. He squeezed some on to his hands. He rubbed the cleaner into his hands until it was gone. He walked back to Wufei's bed.

Heero said,"It was a few minutes later?"

Trowa shook his head.

"It sounds like he's got a serious case of pneumonia."

Trowa said with a little aguish in his voice,"Are you sure?" He hoped that Heero was wrong.

"I've heard about people when they have pneumonia. . .they cough up blood. They have to get oxygen in their lungs, that's why they cough up blood," Heero said.

"In an attempt to get air. . .their lungs are ripping apart in the process?" Trowa said. His eyes turned away from the sleeping form.

"I can't tell!" Heero uttered, he was reaching for an answer.

Duo and Quatre stood in the doorway. Duo asked Trowa,"Trowa, the pain-killers you found. Were there any cough syrup in the same cabinet?"

Trowa cast a glance up at Duo,"Maybe a bottle. I'll have to check."

"It might be the only thing we can use to less the pain, Wufei is going through," Heero uttered coldly. He didn't want to admitted that Wufei could be dying and their hands were tied in their feeble attempts in saving him.

Trowa did find the cough syrup. There were three bottle in the same cabinet he had found the pain-killers. He brought one of the bottles to the bedroom. Duo found a thicker blanket for Wufei. He believe if Wufei's fever couldn't break over night, he would complain about the cold that he was feeling at the time. Heero took over for Quatre on the commutations. Quatre tried to sleep on the sofa. He was tired from the long day of trying to get in touch with Sally Po.

Wufei's fever worsen as the first time of the OZ discovery unfolded. Heero took his turn of taking care of Wufei. He gave Wufei a cup of pain-killer laden tea. Wufei was now under the complete control of both the pain-killer and the fever. He talked in slurred tones in his sleep. His body shivered under the blankets. He said not knowing if he was alone or not,"I'm cold. I want to go home!"

"You are home," Heero said "Sleep. . . O.K."

Wufei tried to sit up in bed. His weakened body didn't have enough strength to pull itself up let alone stay propped up on Wufei's elbows. He slumped back down on to the bed. He was now angered by the lack of will power in his body. He wanted to hurt himself. He raised his left arm in protest. Then, a bitting sharp pain made Wufei cry out. "PAPA!" he screeched.

Heero peered at now the horror struck Wufei. He stood up, nearly knocking the chair he sat on over. "Shh. . .Wufei. I'm here!" Heero commanded firmly.

"MY ARM! IT. . ." Wufei howled. He let the arm fall back to the bed.

"What happened to you arm?" Heero questioned the terrified Wufei.

A few loud gasps, Wufei was trying to calm down. He didn't want to admit the wound was reopened. He just needed for the pain to stop. He began to whimper,"It's bleeding!"

Heero reached over to stroke the left cheek of Wufei. He felt a couple of tears running past his finger tips. "Shh. . .everything will all right. Just keep your arm still. O.K.?" he uttered softly trying to ease Wufei's fears.

"O.K." Wufei agreed with his face now wet with tears.

Heero removed his hand. He walked around the bed until he reached the left side. He gently picked up Wufei's arm. He couldn't tell if it was bleeding or not. It was extremely dark to see the bandage. "I'm moving you arm. I want to see it is it your wound is open!" Heero said.

"O.K." Wufei repeated his answer.

Trowa and Duo were now awake. They were jolted out their sleep by Wufei's cries of pain. Duo sat up in bed. While Trowa rolled over to the side facing Wufei. Duo asked in half yawn,"What happen?"

"Shh. . .I want to look at Wufei's arm," Heero hushed Duo.

"You need a light?" Trowa asked.

"Yea. . .I need a couple," Heero said as he cradled Wufei's arm in his hands.

Quatre was trying to keep awake by listening to a scary old radio show. He was extremely caught up in the story. He heard a pair of foot steps coming down the stair case. Trowa darted into the room. Quatre thought that Trowa was a ghost at first. He jumped a little by the surprise. He instantly realized who it was. He vented a little sharply,"Trowa! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry!" Trowa apologized.

Quatre turned down the volume on the radio. He heard Trowa walking over to the china cabinet. A couple of drawers were opened. Trowa was trying to find a box of candles. Quatre asked,"What's going on?"

"I need to get some more candles," Trowa said. He found the stash of candles in one of the drawers.

"Why?" Quatre asked, he turned to see Trowa taking the box of the drawer.

"Heero thinks that Wufei reopened the wound on his arm," Trowa uttered softly. He didn't to alarm the quiet radio operator.

"Uh?" Quatre was now stunned.

"Wufei was dreaming about something. He raised his arm for a reason. . ." Trowa said.

"And it's must of broke open," Quatre finished Trowa's statement.

"Yea. Heero isn't sure. . .he just doesn't want to take any chances!" Trowa walked back to the stairs.

"Hold the oil lamp steady, Duo," Heero said. Heero began to cut away the bandage with a pair of surgical scissors.

Duo hummed his agreement. He held the oil lamp over Wufei's arm. Quatre and Trowa held Wufei in place. Trowa took Wufei legs and lower back. While Quatre took Wufei's upper back and right shoulder. Heero was very careful and quick when he cut the bandages. He didn't want to cut the wound any deeper. The blood started to pour of the wound. It was worst than what Heero or the others expected. The bleeding needed to be stopped. There was no end in sight. He laid the scissor on a piece of clean gauze. He asked for a short piece of rubber hose. Trowa gave him the hose that he found in a first aid kit. Heero wrapped the hose above the wound. He tried a knot in the hose. It stopped the bleeding. Wufei cried a little as Heero was tying the knot. Trowa and Quatre breathed soothing words to ease Wufei back to sleep.

Heero redressed wound with a fresh bandage. He said in quiet, but firm tone,"Wufei. I have cleaned your wound. Now promise me. . .you wouldn't raise your arm for any reason!"

"Yea, papa!" Wufei said.

Duo, Trowa and Quatre were puzzled. Why did Wufei called Heero papa.

Heero said,"He can't think straight anymore. He has lost his memory!"

"No," Duo said. He was shocked.

Quatre wanted to cry. He believe that Wufei was the invisible dragon of the Gundams. "Is he dying?"

"I am not sure. . ." Heero uttered softly.

Trowa was thinking quietly. He didn't want to see Wufei die. He and others didn't have any choice in the matter. He said,"If it comes down to it. I want to see Wufei to leave this world in peace!"

"I would like to see it too," Heero said.

"Promise me. . .one thing," Duo interpreted.

The others turned to see Duo's crying softly.

"What?" Heero asked.

"Don't you even think about causing Wufei to die any sooner than he has too," Duo snorted in anger.

"Why?" Quatre asked. He never seen that side of Duo.

"I just remember Solo asking a bunch of pills when he was really sick. I couldn't find any at the time. When he got worst, he was screaming for anything to stop the pain!"

"Duo?" Trowa asked.

"I can still hear Solo crying in my dreams," Duo signed. A painful memory had surfaced from Duo's past. He wasn't crying for himself. . .he let the penned up anger come through. He had carried the misery with him in all his short life. He didn't want to see another death like he had experienced with Solo.

Wufei started in his near death walk, on the third morning. He slept without making a sound. Heero believed that Wufei slipped into coma during the night. He didn't tell the others. He just let the others to be under the impression of Wufei was exhausted. Wufei's fever still stood at hundred.

Quatre sat next to Wufei's bedside in nervous tension. He couldn't read or sleep. He feared Wufei could die on his watch. He would talk to Wufei about the gardens that his mother had planted years ago. He loved to be there to get away from the fighting if only for a little while.

He couldn't give Wufei any liquids. Wufei was unable to swallowed. Quatre washed Wufei's face to help break the fever. He talked in low tones as he gently washed Wufei's face,"I would to see the birds when I getting the wood for the fire."

He touched Wufei's cheek with his opened left palm with a slightly touch. "You're still hot. You will break your fever. It just takes times!" he uttered with sad courage.

Quatre quickly removed his hand from Wufei's cheek. He walked back to the night stand. He let the wash cloth fall from his hand to the bowl of cold water. He was sad for Wufei. He wanted to cry, but he had to be brave in case OZ should attack the cabin.

"The birds are so small," he said without looking at the sleeping figure. "They can fit in your hand."

Wufei didn't stir. Quatre wished that Wufei was dreaming of birds and their valued freedom of flight. Quatre hated to see Wufei trapped in such deadly sleep.

The fourth night was totally unpredictable. Heero eat his meal near the radio. He didn't want to be distracted from his work. He heard people as they were trying to find them. There were to recuse teams that were quickly put together. Time was very costly. They needed to find them in order to get Wufei to a hospital for medical treatment.

Trowa and Quatre were eating togther in the dinning room. They tried to have a conversation about other things. Trowa told Quatre about the lions who he took care of at the circus.

Duo had his meal in the bedroom. He only asked for was a cup of soup and a cup of coffee. He wanted to be close by in case Wufei would wake up. He sat on the floor near his bed. He was on watch. He didn't feel like eating. He told himself he had to. He and others had to go on living for Wufei's sake.

After the simple meal, Duo walked over to the bathroom. He washed his face in cold water to keep awake. He didn't get much sleep from the previous night. He had to stay up for at least eight hours. Then, Trowa would take over.

Duo walked back to the bedroom. Wufei was still asleep. "So, peaceful," Duo sighed as he gazed down at figure on the bed. "God will look after you even through you are not awake!"

It was a saying that he had heard Sister Helen voice as he fell into his own world of sleep when Duo was just a child. He wanted to see Sister Helen now. She could have been a great help to all the Gundam pilots at the present monument.

Wufei was at peace with the world. He wanted to see Meiran if only for a short time. He sort of needed her to help him go through the doorway to the world of peace. It was heaven in this death like dream world. To past through the door which led to beautiful place was a just a vision to most people who only receive a glimpse of it. Duo sat down on the chair which stood next to Wufei's bedside.

He didn't feel like talking. His stomach was in knots. He stared at the wall in front of him. The long tapered shadows of trees cast eerily on the walls. Duo began to chant in low tones. He was trying to remember the countless chants, prayers and songs from the church. He wanted to commutate to God. If there was a message to be send on this night. It was the message of hope and healing that was so desperately needed in this small forgotten cabin on this dark, cold and lonely night.

Heero felt incredibly tired. He couldn't keep awake. He made an effort to stay up. He turned up the volume on the radio. He sat up straight in the chair. It was to no advil. He breathed in deeper and slower. Heero's body became relaxed. His eyes grew heavy. His left hand leaned against the transmitting button on the mike. While his right hand fell to the side of the chair that Heero was sitting on. He was now in the deepest of sleep.

Trowa wrapped himself in a thin blanket. He rested with his feet propped up on a second chair. He was going to rest for a little bit. His head dropped to his chest. He promised himself that he was going to wake up in four hours to relieve Duo from his shift. He starting to think by Cathy and manager at the circus. He was trying to clear his mind from all the pain that he and other had been through.

Quatre was going to check up on Duo. He washed the dishes alone. His heart was heavy with great sadness. He didn't like how things were turning out. He wished that OZ did find them. At least Wufei would be in better care and not hanging by a thread. He walked up the steps slowly. He didn't want to upset Duo with him running up the steps. He made sure that the fire was slightly warm. There wasn't going to be a fire in the fireplace when some people were sleeping. Quatre was going restless now. He required sleep, which he fought hard to stay awake.

As Quatre rounded the corner, he padded quietly on the rug. He yawned hand stretched. Fatigue was beating Quatre down. He came to the room. He saw Duo holding his cross in his hands. He was deep in thought as he held the cross in his hands. Quatre felt compelled to pray. He quietly left the room. He walked down the hall a little, away from Duo and Wufei. He sat on the floor, crossing his legs. Quatre hoped that he was facing east towards Mecca. Since they have been there for at least week, all the Gundam pilots were not sure where they were at. He began to pray in sweet low tones. Opening his heart, Quatre had made one plea of being recuse. He wanted to see Wufei to be alive not dead. He promised to be a person with peace and love in his soul, if this one prayer was answered. It wasn't hard for Quatre's rhythms of prayer quickly changed into one of deep breathing. He was slipping into the world of his dreams. He fell to the side softly. He curled up into a ball to keep warm. He was now heavy with sleep.

Duo was now trying to get hold of himself. He had a feeling of being alone. He didn't want to be that way. He turned to see Wufei. He reached out to carefully pick up Wufei's hand. He squeezed it gently. He said in a sigh,"Hey, buddy! I would like to see you up and walking around. You took a really bad fall. Were you sick when we were fighting in space?"

There was no response from Wufei. It seemed like Wufei had already died and Duo was paying his last respects to him. The night stood still in the winter shade of white, black and grey. Duo continued,"I just wish we didn't have to fight. You would agree with me on that. You never told us that you were coming down with a bug? Uh?"

Duo replaced Wufei's hand back on the bed. He knew that Wufei wasn't a person to tell his whole life to anyone. He was very careful of what he would say to certain people. Now Wufei had spilled a little of his life story and his love for Meiran to the Gundams pilots. He didn't know at the end he was going to reveal the pain he had bottled up for so long.

Duo was going to be a comfort from Wufei. He didn't know that Wufei needed someone to ease the last moments of pain before slipping into a deep coma like state. Duo was going to pray for Wufei. Something that Wufei wouldn't allow Duo to do. He was a Buddhist and didn't want Duo to go through the idea of prayer for such a child of war as himself. He was only concerned with saving a place for the weak to live, that was only thing was he dreamed for. Duo on the other hand was told to pray for the sick. He was just like the priest who raised him. He would hear the words,"Pray for the sick, the poor and the down trodden. For they are God's chosen!"

Duo shifted in the chair. He wanted to trade places with Wufei now. He should be the one in that bed. He was the Great Destroyer. Not Wufei, the quiet dragon. He looked at Wufei and sighed. The wind was blowing some where from the north. It was going to be another cold night. Duo shifted again on the chair. He was going to get down on his knees. He stared at the ceiling now. He blinked back a couple of tears and shallowed hard. He knew that God was listening to him. He just wanted to believe that the Heavily Father was going to answer his prayer. He placed his hands on the edge of the bed, like Sister Helen taught him. He pulled out his cross from around his neck. He wrapped the chain around his left hand. He folded his hands quietly.

All was still, quiet and calm.

Then, Duo began to pray. He said in a quiet voice,"I confess that the circle of love is repeatedly broken because of my sin of exclusion. I create separate circles: The inner circle and the outer circle, the circle of power and the circle of despair, the circle of privilege and the circle of deprivation. I confess that the circle of love is broken whenever there is alienation, whenever there is misunderstanding, whenever there is insensitive or a hardening of the heart. Forgive me my sins, as I forgive all who have sinned against me. I confess that the circle of love is broken whenever I cannot see eye to eye, whenever I cannot link hand to hand. Forgive me my sins, as I live heart to heart and affirm my differences. Forgive me my sins, as I forgive all who have sinned against me. Through God's grace I am forgiven by the mercy of my creator, through the love of Christ, and in the power the Spirit. Let me rejoice and be glad! Glory to God! Amen."

He began to cry softly after he had finished his prayer. "Why. . .why. Dear God, why does it have to be Wufei!" Duo uttered.

He burned his face in his arms. He let out a few quiet sobs. "I just a guy who needs nothing! Please heal him!"

He choked on a sob. He raised his head to get some air. He felt so incredibly tired. The crying wore Duo out. Then, he whispered,"God, are you listening to me?"

It was half anger, half sad plea that Duo was expressing. His left hand went up to his eyes. He wiped the tears away from his face. He sniffed hard. The tears stopped slowly. His chest felt achy. It was a good cry. To the let the pain and hostility out. Now Duo leaned against Wufei's bed. He closed his eyes to stop the feeling of sleep from taking over. It was too late, Duo's head was now pillowed against the bed edge. He began to sleep. The night was quiet as young men of war dreamed of peace.

In the morning, Angels of God came in the form of medics. They entered the cabin in hopes finding any survivors. A voice called out as the door knob was jiggled to see if it was locked or not,"Hello? Is there anyone there?"

No answer.

"We are coming in," the voice said. The door was opened slowly in order not to scare anyone.

A couple of older men dressed in thick overcoats walked into the cabin. One of them said,"You go upstairs and see if is there anyone in the bedrooms. I'm going to check in the next room."

The other said,"O.K. I call if I need back up!"

The first one walked to the stair. He slowly walked up the stairs. A few minutes had past, the first one stood at the stair case. He called out,"I found two in the bedroom and a third outside of the bedroom."

"How are they?" the second called back.

"I'm not sure. I think they are all unconscinece!"

"Check to see!"

The first one went back to the bedroom where Wufei and Duo were. Five minutes of past. The first one came back to the stair case. He called out,"They are out like lights. The one in the bed is the most critical."

The second one said,"I'm coming up! You need the O-two?"

"Yea, I'm surprised to see he's still breathing, but I don't know for how long."

"He might be needing the respirator. How about the other one?"

"He's breathing normal. I can't get a response from him. I got a pulse too. It's strong."

The second one walk towards the staircase. He found Heero past out on the chair. He said as he walked up the stairs,"I found another one."

"What is he like?"

"I'm going to check right now," the second one said.

Days of were finally ending. Heero slowly woke up to new surroundings. The room was bright. The noises of heart and lung monitors filled his ears. There was a slightly sharp pain which throbbed in his upper right arm. He half opened his eyes and shifted his glance to a clear line. His eyes traveled up the line to an IV monitor. He saw a steady drip going from one tube to another. He tried to move around in the bed. He felt a pull on his right cheek. His left hand when up to a tube. He tried to sallow. He found a tube running down and into his mouth. He felt a hand stop his. He opened his eyes to see a blurry figure of a person staring down at him. He winced at the pain from the foreign object in his throat. He tried mouth the word help. His eyes began to focus. It was a nurse who made Heero stop from pulling out the tube. Her hand was resting on his hand. She told him a gentle voice,"If you pull this tube out. I cause a vain to pop in your troat."

He feebly groaned,"Pain! Where is Duo?"

"Duo who?" The nurse asked. She took Heero's and placed on the side. "You need rest. Now, I have to take you pulse. Please lay still!"

The was a dividing curtain that separated the beds. Heero turned to see a figure shifting it's head to one side. It was like the two figures knew what was happening. Another figure was bending over the figure. It said in another female voice,"I have to listen to the back of your lungs. Please sit up."

"O. K." said a figure in the bed. The figure in the bed did what it was told to do. Then, it said after a minute of sitting up still. "Hey, that thing is cold!"

The nurse said,"Sorry! I don't like them either!"

Heero mind still fuzzy, tried to remember the person who was in that bed. He tried to sit up. The nurse saw what was going on. She said,"Please keep still. Your body is still sick."

Heero forced himself to sit up. The tubes and wires began to bit him. He groaned softly, fighting the pain. Then, he fell back. The nurse called for the second nurse who was examining the person in the next bed.

"Yes," the second nurse said.

"The patient in this bed is going fantastic. He needs to be sedated," the first nurse said.

"I am coming!" the second nurse said.

The second figure asked,"Who is in the next bed?"

"He's one of the others who were in the cabin that the medics found you in!" the nurse said.

"Uh?"the second figure gaped. "Who is it? Let me see. I have to see."

"Please calm down, sir. Why?" the second nurse said gentle state.

"I just want to know. Those guys are my friends!" the second figure sounded like he was going to panic. "Please pull the curtain."

"O.K. If you instance," the nurse said. She walked over to the curtain and pulled it back to reveal Duo to Heero. Heero looked at Duo with tearful eyes. He knew now at least one of the others survived.

Heero saw it was Duo in the next bed. His memory still foggy said,"Duo?"

"Yea," Duo said. He was calm as he stared at the warrior of Wing.

Heero began to say,"I know. . . pain.

"Shh," Duo hushed. He was trying to calm Heero down."You need is rest. I'll be fine!"

"O.K." Heero said before turning to face the nurse.

Duo turned to see the nurse. He asked,"What happened to the others who were with me in the cabin. Are they alright?"

"Hmm," the nurse began to think. "One is still on oxygen treatments, he will be getting off soon. The second is getting off the IV today. The third is in insolation ICU. He has got double pneumonia and his knee has a new cast on it. The third one didn't look too good when he was brought in."

"How serious is he?" Duo said. A grim look swept past Duo's face.

"He's on a respirator and very heavy antibiotics. It's seems like he's staying for a while. There is a possibility of his lungs being damaged for life," the second nurse said in even tone.

"No," Duo thought to himself. Then, he said,"Then, if his lungs are badly damaged. It means that he can fly his plane."

"Oh?" the second nurse said.

"Yea, me and the others are pilots for hire. That's why we ended up at the cabin!" Duo lied.

"You can see them tomorrow. You too need rest," the second nurse said.

"Man! I can't I believe that we slept through Christmas!" Duo mumbled. He and Heero were sitting up in their beds.

"You are such a little kid," Heero said. He shot an unfeeling look at Duo.

"Well, look at Mister Scrooge!" Duo snapped in sour mood.

"Hmm!" Heero murmured.

"Are you two humbugs excepting two travelers?" said a voice.

"Uh?" Duo said.

"Who is it?" Heero asked.

A pair of wheelchairs rolled into the rooms. First Quatre came into the room. Followed by Trowa. Quatre wore a plain white robe over his hospital gown. While Trowa wore a pale blue robe over his hospital gown. Duo and Heero noticed that Quatre wore an oxygen mask. Trowa on the other hand had his right rest on his lap. Heero hoped Wufei was better. Duo didn't have the heart at the moment to tell Heero that Wufei was in the ICU floor. It would ruin any chances of Heero getting better. Duo asked one of the nurses on the night shift what was wrong with Heero. It turned out that all the Gundam pilots had early stages of pneumonia. Some advanced than others. They got infected from caring for Wufei. Heero was the most critical with his. He pushed himself like always. The doctors and nurses didn't know what kind of medicine to use him. His nearly rejected every antibiotic. They found one that was strong yet didn't make his body worst.

Duo was second as he was the last to care for Wufei. He was running a high fever when he was brought in. The doctors had to use special medicines to break Duo's fever. He didn't like the near death feeling that medicines were making him. Quatre was third, the doctors couldn't get his lungs get enough air when the medics brought him in. He was the second one on a respirator when the medics were transporting them to the hospital When Quatre was able to breath on his, the doctors switched him over a breathing mask. Trowa was last, the doctors found out that Trowa's blood count was high. He was in desperate need of antibiotics. He began to talk in sleep. He was having nightmares about Mobile Suit combat until his fever broke.

Duo said as Quatre and Trowa rolled themselves to the middle of the room,"How you two holding up?"

"Better," Quatre sighed. His blue eyes were sad.

"I want to see Sally Po!" Heero sighed. The nurse gave both Duo and Heero their afternoon treatments. The antibiotic made Heero sleepy.

"There is one problem. OZ could be listening on the phone lines if we even try to contact Sally Po," Trowa said. He was pointing out a fact that OZ was desperate for Gundam pilots' mobile suits.

"How about Miss Relena?" Quatre asked. He wanted to shed a little ray of hope on their plight.

"No," Heero said softly. "She's already too involved with us as it is!" He didn't want anything happening to Relena Peacecraft, her brother Milliardo Peacecraft (a.k.a. Zechs Merquise) would seek his regeneve on Heero if Relena would get hurt or die if she would get mixed up with Gundams even more than she had already was.

"We have to tell someone," Trowa said quietly.

Duo began to think. He came up with a solution to their problem. "I got this guy who has worked with me on Deathscythe. His name is Howard."

"Can we trust him?" Heero said.

"Yea, he had worked with me for at least year!" Duo said. "I wouldn't let anyone else touch Deathscythe."

Trowa was going to change gears in the conservation. He asked,"How is Wufei. Did anyone find out?"

"Not good. He is still in insolation!" Quatre said.

There was a monument of deep regret in room. Duo wasn't going to let his friend down. He had prayed very night since his fever broke. He wasn't letting up until Wufei was sitting next to him in the third wheelchair. Heero said,"If you can get a hold of Howard, then we can concentrate on getting better."

Duo rolled his eyes out of surprise. He knew that Heero pushed himself to the brink of death when he should be resting in bed during an injury. "Are you sure about that?" Duo asked.

"Yea, I can't leave. The nurses and doctors have me doped up on antibiotics," Heero sighed.

"I hear you," Quatre agreed. "That's all I want to do was sleep."

"I had nightmares from all the stuff they pumped me with!" Trowa confessed.

"I felt like I was couldn't move my legs or arms. That stuff they have me to break my fever made me worst!" Duo said.

Quatre planted a seed of hope in their hearts. He said,"As long as we got each other. . .I'm sure that we can get over this thing together!"

Quatre's words of optimism gave each of the others a glimpse of peace.

The days had past too quickly for the Gundam pilots. They were tried to keep their faith up for Wufei's sake. Duo didn't mind if he had missed Christmas just this once. Wufei's health was more important. Trowa hoped to hear from Kathy soon. If she would find out that he was in the hospital, recovering from pneumonia she would have a fit. Quatre worried about Irea and the others in the desert Gundam troop. Heero wanted to see Relena if even only for a minute. They were at opposite sides of the issue of peace. Duo dreamed about Hilde. He loved her in secret very much.

Then, Duo tried to make a phone call to Howard. He hoped that Howard could relay the message some how to Sally Po. Duo was up and sitting on the large hospital chair which stood near the window. He was strong enough with a little aide from a nurse to walk to the window. He was still hooked up his IV. He didn't like the feeling. It made his arm sore when he tried to get a hold of the switch board. He waited for a couple of minutes until he heard the scratchy voice of the mechanic of Deathscythe. "Hello?"Howard asked.

"It's me, Duo!" Duo said. "I'm in the hospital. Would you relay a message for me to Sally Po."

"Duo, what happened?"

"After the fighting, we crashed into the earth!" Duo sighed.

"What's wrong with you!" Howard was starting to probe.

"I don't like to tell, but factors are out of our hands," Duo was starting to get a nervous.

"Yea, it's sounds like you are staling!"

"Thanks!" Duo cringed. "We've got pneumonia!"

"Uh?" Howard's voice sounded baffled. "You all got it!"

"Yea. . .Wufei broke his leg. We found this cabin and were staying in it until we contacted help. We also took care of Wufei. He was really sick and never told us that he was."

"So, you and others had contacted the pneumonia as well?"

"Yes. The medics who rescued us were very quick. I must of slept for days. Wufei is in. . ." Duo didn't like what he was about to say.

"What's wrong," Howard asked.

The self hate that was going through tore into stomach. He said,"He's in coma. He been in that state for at least two weeks."

"Others were trying to get a hold of you when your Gundam went down. Tell me," Howard asked.

"Tell you what?" Duo asked.

"Was each of the Gundams were heavily damaged on impact?"

"Even more. There was a snow storm which covered our Gundams completely. I don't what the details are like. It's like we left that world behind when we took shelter in that cabin."

A nurse came in to tell Duo it was time for rest. He told Howard to get a hold of Sally Po and their Gundams.

Duo was strong enough to leave the hospital. He got a hold of a church who gave him some money for a hotel room for at least two weeks. He told the story that he didn't have any money since he lost everything during the fake plane crash. He was going to pay them back once he got some money. He began to visit the other three Gundam pilots. He was not aloud to visit Wufei just yet. The doctors told him, that he just had pneumonia and his shouldn't be risking his health from another deadly dose.

Heero and Trowa were sitting at a longue. They were strong enough to be walking around. Heero wore a pale green robe over his hospital gown. He was still hooked up his IV. Trowa was going to be discharged in a couple of days. Duo asked,"Where's Quatre?"

Duo glanced around the longue.

"He's taking breathing excises," Trowa said.

"Why?" Duo was puzzled.

"He can't breath on his just yet. They have to retrain him so his lungs could be strong," Heero said

"I bet he doesn't like it." Duo grumbled from his own experiences of taking the same excises.

"He says it hurts. He tries not to complain," Trowa said.

"Yea, the nurse tells you to breath in the tube that she or he gives you and then tell you to keep that ball inside of the tube floating up to the top for a minute or two. I loath it!" Duo said.

"All I want to do is throw that tube across the room. I feel like an idiot!" Heero said.

"Quatre may not look it, but he's strong!" Duo said.

"What about Wufei?" Trowa asked. He and the other two knew that Wufei was strong from deep within.

"Yea, he's just fighting the inside now. He needs to finish soon. Noin had found all of our Gundams!" Duo said.

Rumors spread about the missing Gundam pilots began to fall around Duo's feet. He tried to remain uncover as best he as knew how. He took the back way to see the others. He stayed in hotel on the time he wasn't visiting. He went to a cyber-café to contact Lt. Noin. They began to a clandestine instant message correspondence.

He went by the handle of Blue-tears. While Noin went by Brown-eyes. Duo was talking to Noin the third night he was away from the hospital.

Blue-tears: The others are still in the hospital.

Brown-eyes: How bad are they?

Blue-tears: Quatre is still on breathing treatments. Trowa is getting out soon. Heero lost weight. They wouldn't let him out until he gains it back. Wufei is still in coma.

Brown eyes: What about the Gundams?

Blue-tears: My friend Howard has got them.

Brown-eyes: Can you tell me how bad the damage is?

Blue-tear: I don't even know. When we crashed we got caught in a snow storm.

Brown-eyes: How did you survive?

Blue-tears: By the grace of God and the will to live.

Brown-eyes: Even Wufei?

Blue-tears: Yea, up to the end. He lost his memory before he slipped into coma.

Brown-eyes: Where is he at now?

Blue-tears: He's in ICU. We can't see him, because we might get worst.

Brown-eyes: Can I see him?

Blue-tears: No. . .only family. Which Wufei doesn't have any at the time.

Brown-eyes: He must have you guys for his family. Get well soon, so he can see you.

Blue-tears: Thanks!

Duo heard from his contacts that Zecks was watching for him. He had to get Trowa out of the hospital when Trowa was released. OZ would have their guards posted at the doors. He had to leave for the hospital. Duo thought of coming in Trowa's room as a chaplain. He just needed to borrow some clothes.

As Trowa waited for Duo, Quatre was in bed, resting. Quatre wasn't awake. The nurse gave him a shot to relax him after his breathing treatments. Heero was in his room reading. Duo walked up to Heero's room. Heero heard a knock on his door. He looked up from his reading and said,"Yes!"

"Do you need to talk, my son?" asked a voice.

"Hmm?" Heero agreed loud enough so Duo could hear. Heero began to think. Who was this guy asking to talk and calling him son. He became weary. He thought of hurting whoever this person was. He could call the nurse if he was unable to do anything. He said,"You can come in."

Heero closed the book he was reading. At least he was armed with a book as a weapon.

A figure stepped into the room. Heero became a little terrified as he saw a figure in hooded cloak walking towards. It spoke slowly in soothing tones,"There is something I want to talk to you about!"

Heero's heart beat a little faster. "Who are you?" Heero asked.

"I'm the truth, the light and the way," the figure quoted a passages from the Bible.

Then, Heero watched as the figure removed the hood from it's head. There stood Duo, smiling his reassurance. Heero was instantly relieved and ticked off at the same time. Why did Duo pull such a stunt. Heero didn't need anyone pull on his chain. He and others had been through enough. Duo began to explain his actions to Heero.

Trowa was getting on his shoes. He tried to remain quiet in order not to wake up Quatre. Quatre was sleeping. The doctors were still a little concerned for Quatre's lungs. He was the weakest of the Gundam pilots outside of Wufei. They didn't want to rush him. Trowa was happy that he was leaving. Duo told Trowa that he was being picked up by a monk from the Mission. He wasn't sure which one. He had to keep Trowa in the dark about his mission. He was going to get the Gundams before Zecks did. He saw a figure walking up towards the bed. He had a general idea of who it was. He finished tying is shoes. The figure walked around the bed.

There stood in the opening was the figure wearing a hooded cloak. Trowa knew that the monks had to keep a vow of secretness and quiet in their sect. Duo told him that before Trowa was going to be picked up. Trowa stared up at the figure. He asked,"Are you the one to pick me up?"

The figure shook it's head.

After an attendant took Trowa by wheelchair to the lobby. The figure didn't say a word. Trowa and the figure walked to the entrance way to the parking lot. There was a cab waiting for them in the parking lot. Trowa and the figure got in. The cab drove away.

After a few minutes, the figure removed it's hood. Trowa was surprised to see Duo sitting next to him. Duo sighed,"Man. . .this hood was getting hot. I'm glad that's over."

"Duo?" Trowa said. Then, he pursed his lips in miffed happiness. He knew that Duo could pull a stunt like that one.

Duo wiped the sweat off his face. He sighed,"I know that I shouldn't be doing the scary person underneath the hood bit, but OZ was starting to dig around the hospital. There are reports from the underground that Zecks was trying to get into the hospital. He wants us and our Gundams."

"Are you sure?" Trowa asked. They all have lost track of time.

"Noin is checking into it. She doesn't want us to end up as the White Fang's puppets!" Duo said as a worried look past his face.

Quatre and Heero were still recovering and the could fall into the hands of Zecks and Treize. Duo was going to stop those two in their tracks.

There was a freezing rain which started to fall gently on the ground.

Duo hoped for a miracle for Wufei. He needed to be strong if he was going to survive.

A week had pat and three turn of events had happened to the Gundam pilots. One, Heero and Quatre got of the hospital. Trowa, Heero, Duo and Quatre were now staying at the local church. They didn't mind it. At least it was a warm place to stay. The ladies from the church brought in food, clothes and beds to make them comfortable. They listened to organist practice daily on the organ as they tried to rest. Duo got a hold of Noin.

The second one that Zecks showed up at the hospital asking for Wufei. Duo was strong enough to visit Wufei. The doctors who were treating Wufei told Zecks that he was not aloud on the Isolation ward. He wasn't family and Wufei was unable to speak. Wufei was still in coma. Duo on the other hand, was like a brother to Wufei. He was allowed a ten minute visit once a day with Wufei. In fact, Duo spotted Treize in the lobby outside of the insolation ward. Treize was asking a nurse who was on duty how Wufei was. She couldn't say too much. She wasn't sure that Wufei was going to make it through the night or not. His blood count took a sharp dive. He was too ill. The medicine wasn't working. Duo had to wait until Treize had left.

Duo went the insolation ward. The nurse told him how to dress. Then, she showed him to Wufei's room. Duo was sickened when he saw Wufei. Wufei was hooked up too many machines. Tubes were running in and out of him. The monitors were keeping a steady track of Wufei's vitals. Wufei looked extremely pale. Duo tried to put on a brave face on the situation. He walked over to the bed. He felt his mouth go dry. He said,"Wufei?"

There was no response from the sleeping figure on the bed.

"Hi, I see tact they are taking good care of you!" Duo said before swallowing hard.

Then, a minute past. He said,"I have some news to tell you! They found our Gundams. Howard, a friend from my past is fixing them. They will be up and running soon. He couldn't believe the damage. He told me tact everyone was pretty bad."

Duo swallowed hard again. He didn't like see people who he loved hurt. He looked anxiously around the room. He was looking for a sign of Wufei's progress. There was none. He said,"Look I have to run. Noin is going to see us tonight."

Duo rolled up his hands into fists. He wanted to leave. His heart in brotherly love was breaking. He turned to leave the room. He whispered loudly,"Bye, Wufei!"

Trowa was sleeping in a pew in the main chapel. He was tried of waiting around for Noin to show up. It was getting close to the Greek Christmas. Quatre had went with Heero to the Mosaic for his time that he missed during his recovery. Heero didn't want to disturb Quatre when he went in secret prayer. He waited outside for Quatre to finish up. Duo helping the janitor clean up for the next mass. Things were going to change again. OZ stopped snooping when they found two road blocks to which place a roadblock in their path.

Trowa felt a fuzzy hand fall on this face. He began to struggle for air. Reaching up, Trowa pulled the fuzzy hand off his face. He stared up at Duo. Duo was smirking down at him. Duo said,"What are you doing?"

Trowa a little peeved said,"Just resting. I'm board!"

"Yea, am I too. So, I took a dust mop and started to help the janitor," Duo uttered.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Trowa started to brush off the fuzz from his face.

"You can do the pews. Check to see if there are enough books, old programs are not in the holders. Then, you can dust off them with a broom," Duo said as he instantly thought of things to do for Trowa.

It sounded like work to Trowa, but he needed to do something. He sat up and stretched. Duo went back to work.

Heero and Quatre entered into the chapel. They took off their coats. They saw Duo dust mopping the floor. Then, they saw Trowa walking around each pew, checking to see if there was enough bibles and hymnals in each holder.

Heero walked up to Duo. Duo was about done with his work. He looked at Heero. Heero said,"When are you going to be finished?"

"Why?" Duo didn't look up at Heero.

"Miss Johnston wants to know. She has dinner in the dining hall waiting for us!" Heero said.

"In a couple of minutes. I have help Trowa. How was the expectance in the Mosaic?" Duo was curious.

"Different. I never knew so many people are Muslims!" Heero sighed. "I didn't get bored."

Trowa had a hand full of old programs that he was pulling out from the holders. Quatre was helping him. Quatre wanted to help Trowa out the task that Duo gave him. He never knew that Duo's faith was very articulate. He was going to study Duo's faith. He wanted to know what made Duo's soul strong. Trowa was amazed at the bibles that sat in each holder. He never read one. Duo tried to read a little each night. It eased him. He caught Heero thumbing through one during the time that they were in the cabin. Was Heero wanting the same ease which Duo had. Only time would tell. Trowa said to Quatre,"I'm glad that the next three services are in here. The small chapel is only used in small groups. I would miss the music coming from the organ."

"I know. It seems like we are heaven when the organist plays on the organ," Quatre smiled.

"What is your faith like? Is it like Duo's?" Trowa asked as he handed an other hand full of programs to Quatre.

"No. We pray. . ." Quatre said as he arranged with a free hand a set of bibles in a holder. "But, it's to Ali. . .not God! We don't have an organ. Sometimes we sing old songs that were handed down from the ages."

"Wow!" Trowa said. He took a hymnal that was sitting up side down and a up side right pose in the holder.

"I miss seeing my family, when I have to visit the mosaic alone. It seems like that was the only time really i got to see them," Quatre sighed. He missed his family.

Trowa smirked a little as he said,"All twenty-nine sisters?"

"Yea, all twenty-nine of them," Quatre said as he felt a strange emptiness in his heart. He hope to see all twenty-nine of his sisters soon.

The main chapel was completed and ready for the next mass. Quatre and Duo filled the table in the hallway with new programs. While Trowa and Heero swept the outside entrance way to the church.

After their work, Quatre, Duo, Heero and Trowa headed for the dining hall. Two little old women were standing in the hall, waiting for their adopted boys for the supper. There was two treats for the boys. The two little old women fixed a good dinner for the boys. They were afraid that Quatre, Duo, Heero and Trowa starved themselves at the cabin. They needed to be fattened up a little. The second one was an expected phone call from the hospital. God had a hand in this surprise.

Duo, Heero, Quatre and Trowa were sitting down for supper when one of woman said,"How was work?"

Quatre said in a gentle tone,"It's was different."

"I never knew how dirty a church can be," Trowa said.

"Yep!" Heero added.

There was a huge bowl of boiled noodles brought to the table. Then, the phone rang. Duo excused himself to answer the phone. He stood up and walked away from the table.

In the alcove, Duo took the phone. He said as he raised the receiver to his right ear,"Yea."

A calm voice on their other end of the line said,"Mister Maxwell. . .we have some good news for you!"

"What is it?" Duo asked. He was hoping the news was about Wufei.

"Mister Chang. . .is that his name."

"Yes, that's his name! What's wrong with Wufei?"

"Oh, nothing wrong. . .in fact, it's good news. Wufei woke up just a hour ago."

The news stunned Duo hard. He nearly dropped the receiver. "Wha?" he gasped.

"Wufei woke up about an hour ago. He wanted to know where he was. He told the nurse who was attending him that he remembered being in a cabin. He said he was also wanted a drink of water."

"What will happen to him?" Duo was curious of the out come of Wufei's health.

"The Doctors will run some tests and go from there. He seems to be alert to his surroundings."

Duo wanted to cry for joy. This was the best Christmas present every. He and others had gotten their wish. Wufei was going to live. Duo thanked the nurse on the other end.

Duo ran back to the dinning hall. He nearly shouted the news as he entered. Trowa, Quatre and Heero stopped eating. They stared at Duo. Heero thought that Duo was cracking up again. He asked now excited Duo,"What's wrong with you?"

"I got some news!" Duo smiled.

"About what?" Trowa asked. He reached over to get a cup of coffee.

"Wufei!"

The three stared at each other. Then, at Duo. Quatre was starting to get a feeling about Wufei. He wasn't sure until he asked Duo,"Is Wufei O.K.?"

"Better than O.K." Duo started to pace the floor around the table. He stopped and glanced over to Heero. "The phone call I got was from the hospital. They told me that Wufei is out of his coma."

"What?" the others three asked. Their faces were now in shocked disbelief.

"The nurse who called me told me that Wufei is out of his coma. He was talking to her and wanted to drink of water."

"How?" Heero asked.

"When?" Trowa asked.

"Are they going to run any tests to see if he's O.K.?" Quatre asked.

"Yea, they are going to run some tests on him to see if he had any damage," Duo starting up his pacing. He didn't feel like eating. The others were happy and received to hear such wonderful news.

Outside of the church, it began to snow. Christmas did come to Heero, Quatre, Trowa, Duo and Wufei. It was more precious than any physically gift that anyone could give. This was the gift of life.

Epilogue, Wufei stayed in the hospital for a month. He received treatments for his pneumonia. Then, he was taught to walk without any help. The four other Gundam pilots were giving the green light to go back to the battle front by the Sanc Kingdom's doctors. The war was still raging. Wufei wanted to fight, but the doctors in the hospital where he had said no.

Two months had past, the fighting at the new colony L-174X was getting out of hand. It seemed like Quatre and Duo needed back up. Heero's Wing was out of fuel. He was heading back the space port to refuel before going back. Trowa was trailed into a blind corner by a couple of Leos.

Then, out of the blue came a Mobile suit. It fired laser beams to hit the Leos that were pinning Trowa down. Trowa felt something in his soul. Like he knew that person who was piloting the MS was not a run a mill person.

Then, the suit was gone.

Quatre heard a voice nearly shouting through his com-link,"I'M SICK OF FIGHTING A WAR OF WEAK PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DO THAN PUSH OTHERS AROUND!"

Quatre snapped to attention. He knew that voice. His mind swam with thoughts of only one person. He said testing his feeling about the voice and the person behind it. He said slowly and calmly,"Is that you, Wufei?"

"Yea," Wufei sniped in his usual cold inhuman manor. Then, he ziad quietly,"Didja miss me?"

Another voice asked which sounded like Heero's voice,"When did you get the green light to fight again."

"Yesterday," Wufei ziad. His reflexes made the Shenlong dodge laser fire which was aimed toward his MS.

Duo and Trowa said in unison,"Take it easy. Don't be rushing into anything yet!"

They sounded like two older brothers who knew how Wufei was like.

"Right. . .anything you guys say," Wufei snapped. Then, he teased like an annoying little kid,"Not!"

The end!


End file.
